The British Racing Drivers' Club, the owner of Silverstone, has announced that Nelson Piquet's honorary membership has been temporarily suspended.

The news comes in a brief statement issued by the BRDC in response to comments the three-time world champion made last November.

"The BRDC Board of Directors has noted that, in a Brazilian podcast last November, Nelson Piquet Senior, an Honorary Member of the BRDC, described Lewis Hamilton using a racially offensive expression in Portuguese," reads the statement.

"The apology issued yesterday by Mr Piquet Sr has also been noted.

"In view of the BRDC's zero-tolerance policy towards any act involving or suggesting racism, the BRDC Board has concluded that Mr Piquet Sr's use of racially offensive language to describe a fellow BRDC member (and 7-times World Champion) is unacceptable and represents conduct that is wholly inappropriate for an Honorary Member of the BRDC, notwithstanding his subsequent apology.

"Accordingly, we have advised Mr Piquet Sr that his membership has been suspended with immediate effect. Following the Club's due process, it is anticipated that the Board will terminate Mr Piquet Sr's membership at a board meeting to be held after the required 7-day notice period."

Check out our Thursday gallery from Silverstone here.

LATEST NEWS

more news >

LATEST IMAGES

galleries >

Click to go to the main galleries section

READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by kenji, 03/07/2022 3:31

"@ Spindoctor....that's what happens when divisive woke politics is given the green flag.Some people are simply using F1 as a platform to push their own agendas...and that is wrong IMO. I see the social engineers using the F1 platform to create a problem that really doesn't exist. They probe for social constructions of contemporary 'perceived 'weaknesses then magnify it with faux outrage. BLM is a perfect example. Yes, there was case to be answered but the BLM rioters were only using that issue as a platform for social anarchy. What has US$2 billion of property damage done to further their case? Yet they got away with that and F1 was complicit in allowing their protest to hijack the pre race entre to F1 racing. Remaining silent is not an option IMHO."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

2. Posted by Spindoctor, 01/07/2022 15:57

"This whole discussion is a bit of a digression & I apologise for being sucked in & adding to the noise."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

3. Posted by Pavlo, 01/07/2022 14:50

"@kenji - one point where I agree with @Spindoctor is that unlike with F1, here is “BRITISH racing drivers’ club”, so it’s normal to apply British understanding of moral and taste. If people with “other origin” have different view, they don’t have to be the members of British club.
That said I still disagree with “paddock ban” from the global F1, uniting such “origins” as USA, Saudi Arabia, China etc."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

4. Posted by kenji, 30/06/2022 23:49

"@ Spindoctor....trying to throw a cloak over the case in point doesn't wash. Different people of different origin see things differently and they have every right to be heard and their opinions debated in whatever fashion is decided. Attempting to moralise doesn't take into account that almost all peoples of different origins have at times experessed views that are alien in todays world. It is only recently that the 'woke brokers' have upped the ante. To dismiss others opinions in such an outdated cavalier fashion is counter productive. Is this 'cancellation tripping' just a preview of a new form of 'book burning'.? Next thing will be a call to arms....based on, 'ooh ahhh the naughty man verballed me'. What a joke. This is what happens when politics are introduced into F1. "

Rating: Positive (1) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

5. Posted by Editor, 30/06/2022 19:00

"@ Spindoctor

Wipe your chin old man, you're dribbling ;-)"

Rating: Positive (2) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

6. Posted by Spindoctor, 30/06/2022 18:33

"@kenji
Not a “cancellation juggernaut” but an insistence on maintaining standards of decency, politeness & good taste. "

Rating: Positive (1) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

7. Posted by JamesD, 30/06/2022 15:12

"He might have apologised but he knew exactly what he was saying. I asked my Brazilian friend to look at the clip and asked for his translation; he said that it was definitely the colloquial Portuguese equivalent to the N word.

Sorry Nelson, you knew exactly what you were saying.

And just for the record, no I am not a Lewis fanboy !!"

Rating: Positive (3) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

8. Posted by BrightonCorgi, 30/06/2022 14:26

"Let's review every word ever said be every member. There must be another dozen or two they can suspend as well."

Rating: Positive (7) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

9. Posted by kenji, 30/06/2022 14:09

"
And the cancellation juggernaut' rolls on despite the apology given by Piquet. Who was the 'dumper'?"

Rating: Positive (4) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

Piquet's honorary membership of BRDC suspended

LATEST NEWS

RELATED ARTICLES

LATEST IMAGES

POST A COMMENT

Post your comment

READERS COMMENTS

Share this page