F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Responds To Racist Name-Calling From Past F1 Champion

Lewis Hamilton has commented on the racial slur made by F1 champion Nelson Piquet in an interview that recently surfaced. The Brazilian called the 7-time world champion the Brazilian version of the N word in a Portuguese podcast after the 2021 British Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen hit each other during the first lap of the Silverstone race, prompting the comment from Piquet. The fact that Piquet is the father of Max Verstappen’s daughter has added extra fuel to the fire.

“It’s more than language,” Hamilton wrote on Twitter. “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. Time has come for action.”

He continued to post on Twitter, this time in Portuguese: “Let’s focus on changing the mindset.”

Thousands have jumped to support Lewis including several F1 drivers, but F1 itself has also raced to support the driver as they released a statement:

“Discriminatory or racist language is unacceptable in any form and has no part in society. Lewis is an incredible ambassador for our sport and deserves respect.

“His tireless efforts to increase diversity and inclusion are a lesson to many and something we are committed to at F1.”

Mercedes also released a statement of support:

“We condemn in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind. Lewis has spearheaded our sport’s efforts to combat racism, and he is a true champion of diversity on and off track.

“Together, we share a vision for a diverse and inclusive motorsport, and this incident underlines the fundamental importance of continuing to strive for a brighter future.”