29/06/2022
NEWS STORY
Three-time world champion, Nelson Piquet has issued a brief statement as the fall-out over his comment about Lewis Hamilton continues.
"I would like to clear the stories circulating in the media about a comment I made in an interview last year," says the Brazilian, who used a racial slur in referring to the seven-time world champion in a podcast interview last November.
"What I said was ill thought out," he continues, "and I make no defence for it, but I will clarify that the term used is one that has widely and historically been used in Brazilian Portuguese for a synonym for 'guy' or 'person' and was never intended to offend. I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations.
"I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour," he insists. "I apologise wholeheartedly to anyone that was affected, including Lewis, who is an incredible driver, but the translation in some media that is now circulating on social media is not correct.
"Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts in that respect."
Meanwhile, it is understood that Piquet, who won 23 Grands Prix over a career that spanned 13 seasons and saw him race for Brabham, Williams, Lotus and Benetton, is now banned from the F1 paddock.