Camila Vega
More videos in the Brazilian media show retired Formula One champion Nelson Piquet using homophobic language and more racial slurs about Lewis Hamilton.
The Brazilian news portal Metrópoles published a video in which the 69 year old Brazilian used homophobic language to say that the British driver was not focused enough to challenge his Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg, for the 2016 title, which the German won.
What Nelson Piquet Said About Lewis Hamilton
In a podcast last November, the former F1 driver talked about an accident between the Briton and Max Verstappen during last year’s British Grand Prix. Piquet referred to Lewis as “neguinho” in Portuguese, which means “little black boy.”
The term is not necessarily a racist slur in Brazil, but it is an expression that is increasingly seen as unpleasant, and your wording may emphasize that as well.
The Brazilian apologized to Lewis on Wednesday, but said the term, while “poorly thought out,” was not meant to be offensive. He added that “neguinho” can be used as an abbreviation for “people in general”. But his way of communicating implies that he refers to the Briton as “the little nigger,” to which he added a homophobic slur.
The video can be seen below:
Moreover, for previous insults this former F1 driver has already been widely condemned by F1, the drivers, the teams and the governing body, the FIA. Therefore, the FIA tweeted about it on June 28:
The Consequences
The Brazilian was suspended on Thursday from his honorary membership of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, which owns and runs the Silverstone track, the site of this Sunday’s July 3 grand prix.
Series leader Verstappen, who is in a relationship with Piquet’s daughter Kelly Piquet, said on Thursday that Piquet used a “very, very offensive” word. Finally, the British pilot responded to the new interviews with anti-racist comments:
The tweet reads:
It is more than language. These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. The time has come for action.
Consequently, the pilot is calling for harsher punishments for the Brazilian. Indeed, his offense was very serious and his comments absolutely unnecessary.
