After a video in which Nelson Piquet uses a racist term to refer to the seven-time world champion went viral on social networks and echoed in the international press - which generated public statements from F1, FIA and Mercedes - Hamilton himself used Twitter to respond to the episode
After viralization of an interview in which Nelson Piquet uses a racist word to refer to Lewis Hamilton - which generated public manifestations of Fórmula 1, FIA (International Automobile Federation) and Mercedes - the seven-time world champion himself turned to social networks on Tuesday (28) to respond to the repercussions.
First, Hamilton posted on his Twitter account a message in Portuguese. "Let's focus on changing the mentality," wrote the seven-time world champion. Shortly after, the Mercedes driver tweeted back 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. The time for action is now," Hamilton emphasized.
The racist comment by Nelson Piquet 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," said Piquet in the interview on November 3, 2021.
The fact generated public rejection from Formula 1, which did not mention Piquet's name in an official statement released in the early hours of Tuesday. "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 motorsport," the body ended.
Finally, Ferrari likewise used Twitter to express support for Hamilton. "We stand by F1, Hamilton and Mercedes against any form of discrimination," the Italian team posted.