Lewis Hamilton responded to comments by Bernie Ecclestone, who tried to defend Nelson Piquet. The six-time champion said he doesn't understand the stage that old voices in the sport get
Lewis Hamilton attended the press conference of the British GP, held on Thursday (30), and did not dodge the questions about the racist statements of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet, which echoed worldwide this week and gained repudiation from the world of motorsport.
In the press conference, Hamilton indirectly answered Bernie Ecclestone, former Formula 1 boss who gave an interview to the program Good Morning Britain defending Piquet and saying he was surprised that Lewis didn't ignore the fact. Without naming names, the seven-time champion was critical.
"I don't know why we keep giving these old voices a stage, because they are talking about our sport and we want to go somewhere completely different. It's not representative, I think, of who we are as a sport now and where we plan to be," he stated.
Ecclestone, who also claimed in the interview that he would take a bullet for Russian President Vladimir Putin and defended the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has a history of statements downplaying the racial issues and activism of Hamilton, who went on to criticize the "older voices" in the Formula One world.
"These old voices, subconsciously or consciously, don't agree that people like me, for example, should be in a sport like this. They don't agree that women should be here. Nobody should have to ignore racism, and it shouldn't be for me to ignore it," he followed.
Nelson Piquet's racist remark occurred last year, when the three-time champion was commenting on the crash between the Mercedes driver and Max Verstappen at the Formula 1 British Grand Prix.
In the video, which gained repercussion in the international press, journalist Ricardo Oliveira questioned Piquet about a similar maneuver by Ayrton Senna in the past, and the three-time champion disagreed. "The 'neguinho' put the car in and didn't let [Verstappen] pass. [...] The 'neguinho' left the car, because there was no way to pass two cars in that corner. [...] The 'neguinho' did it as a joke," Piquet said in the interview on November 3, 2021.
Lewis Hamilton responded to Piquet's speech on his social networks. First, he posted on his Twitter a message in Portuguese. "Let's focus on changing the mentality," wrote the seven-time world champion. Shortly after, the Mercedes driver tweeted again in English and called for forceful anti-racist actions.
"It's more than language. These archaic mentalities need to change and have no place in our sport. I have been surrounded by these attitudes and have been a target for my whole life. There was plenty of time to learn. Now is the time for action," Hamilton emphasized.
The fact generated public expressions of repudiation from Formula 1, which did not mention Piquet's name in an official statement released in the early hours of Tuesday (28). "Discriminatory or racist language is unacceptable in any form and is not part of 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 in F1," the F1 statement stressed.
Mercedes has also officially spoken out about the language used by Piquet. "We condemn in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind. Lewis has led our sport's efforts to combat racism and he is a true champion of diversity on and off the track. Together, we share a vision of diverse and inclusive motorsport, and this incident highlights the fundamental importance of continuing to strive for a better future," the team said.
The FIA also repudiated the event, saying via an official statement on its Twitter account that it "strongly condemns any racist or discriminatory language and behavior, which has no place in sport or society in general."
"We express our solidarity with Lewis Hamilton and fully support his commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in motor sport," the body ended.
In a statement sent to the international press last Wednesday (29), Piquet apologized to Hamilton, but tried to justify it by stating that there was an "incorrect translation" of the racist term. Despite the attempted retraction, Formula One is considering banning the former driver and three-time world champion from the paddock.
The British GP takes place between July 1st and 3rd at Silverstone circuit, with LIVE and REAL TIME coverage by GRANDE PRÊMIO.