TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton calls on all parties to fight racism in any form. He said this after the Mercedes driver received racist slurs from Brazil’s former three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet.
In an interview in Brazil posted on YouTube in November, Piquet, 69, used a racial slur in Portuguese when commenting on Hamilton’s British Grand Prix crash with Max Verstappen last season. The slur was directed at Hamilton. Piquet also said Hamilton had ‘played dirty’ in the incident.
Things got even hotter because Piquet’s daughter, Kelly, was Verstappen’s partner and the racist comment went viral as the drivers prepared to race at Silverstone, England, this weekend.
Hamilton, who was recently awarded honorary Brazilian citizenship and is the only black driver in the sport, responded on Twitter.
“This is more than language. This ancient mindset needs to be changed and has no place in our sport,” the Mercedes driver was quoted as saying by ReutersWednesday, June 29, 2022.
“I was surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There was a lot of time to learn. The time has come for action.”
Motor racing’s governing bodies FIA, Formula 1 and Mercedes all issued statements condemning racism but without naming Piquet.
“Discriminatory or racist language is unacceptable in any form and has no part in society. Lewis is an extraordinary ambassador for our sport and deserves respect,” a Formula 1 statement read.
Mercedes said Hamilton was a “true champion of diversity on and off the track”, while the FIA expressed solidarity and support for “a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in motorsport”.
Other prominent sports figures expressed support for Hamilton, with tennis player Naomi Osaka retweeting her response adding the words “Emphasis on ‘there is plenty of time to learn’.”
Support also came from Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. “The comments made against Lewis should not be tolerated, and we continue to encourage a more diverse and inclusive sport,” said Leclerc.
“We need to remove discriminatory behavior and racist language in all its forms, not only from our sport, but also from our society.”
Hamilton was made an honorary citizen of Brazil some time ago. The Briton, whose childhood hero was the late Brazilian triple Formula 1 World Champion Ayrton Senna, waves the Brazilian flag after he won last year’s race at Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit.
Also read: Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton Blunder, Max Verstappen World Champion
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