It was with a tweet that Lewis Hamilton reacted on Tuesday to racist remarks by former Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet. “These are more than words, said the British seven-time Formula 1 world champion. These archaic mentalities must change and have no place in our sport. “I’ve been surrounded by behavior like this and targeted my whole life. There has been time to learn, now is the time for action,” added the Mercedes team driver, currently 6th in the 2022 World Championship.
In a November 2021 interview, which resurfaced recently, Piquet used the word “little black” (“neguinho” in Brazilian) to refer to Hamilton when discussing an incident involving Briton and Dutchman Max Verstappen in the first round of the British Grand Prix 2021. “The little black guy put his car in and left it because there was no way for him to overtake two cars in this corner,” said Piquet, three-time world champion of F1, in this video interview granted to Motorsports.com.
Piquet, support for Bolsonaro
“He did it to piss her off. His luck is that only the other [Verstappen] got fucked, ”added Piquet, who is the father of Verstappen’s companion and who is one of the supporters of far-right Brazilian head of state Jair Bolsonaro.
Piquet’s remarks were condemned by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and Formula 1, the organizer of the F1 World Championship. “Discriminatory or racist comments are unacceptable in any form and have no place in society,” Formula 1 responded in a statement. “Lewis is an incredible ambassador for our sport and deserves respect,” Formula 1 said of the seven-time world champion. “His tireless efforts to increase diversity and inclusion are a lesson to many and a commitment on the part of F1.”
For its part, the FIA ”virulently condemns any racist or discriminatory remarks or behavior which has no place in sport or in society”. “We stand in solidarity with Lewis Hamilton and fully support his commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in motorsport. »
Hamilton very involved in “Black lives matter”
“We condemn in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind,” also reacted the Mercedes team. “Lewis has spearheaded our sport’s efforts to combat racism, and he is a true champion of diversity on and off the track,” the statement said. Ferrari also condemned Piquet’s remarks.
Hamilton was heavily involved in the “Black lives matter” movement in 2020. On his initiative, some drivers knelt down before the races as a sign of support, and the color of Mercedes single-seaters changed from gray to black until at the end of the 2021 season.