This weekend there is a Formula One race at Silverstone in the UK, and after last year’s race at the same venue, three-time world champion Nelson Piquet is said to have made a racist statement about the British F1 driver. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
After Lewis Hamilton crashed with Dutch arch rival Max Verstappen, the latter was forced to break last year’s race at Silverstone. Pique, the father of Verstappen’s girlfriend, made more racist comments about Hamilton regarding the accident during a podcast interview that took place a few months after the race. According to The Guardian, a video clip from the interview was released on Monday night, several months after the interview was conducted.
In the interview, Becky calls Hamilton the n-word.
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Former world champion Nelson Piquet is in bad weather after making racist comments against Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton during an interview. Photo: Bernadette Szabo/Reuters
It’s about more than one language
On Tuesday, Lewis Hamilton took to Twitter to challenge Pique’s infamous statement.
It is about more than one language. These outdated mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I have been surrounded by these situations and have been a target my whole life. It was the perfect time to learn. Hamilton wrote that it is time to act Twitter Tuesday.
The racist statement is also condemned by the Formula 1 community.
Not the first time
According to TV2, this isn’t the first time the former world champion has sparked controversy. Previously, Pique was said to have questioned the position of former Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna. He is also said to have made derogatory comments directed at his former teammate Nigel Mansell.
It’s not just Pique who suffers from bad weather in the Formula 1 environment as a result of racist comments. Earlier this month Formula 2 driver Jory Phipps was suspended by Red Bull Racing for racist language. On Tuesday, the team fired him.