Charles Leclerc used social media to express support for Lewis Hamilton after Nelson Piquet's racist comments. Ferrari's Monegasque called for an end to racist behavior in society
Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc spoke out about the racist comments that the heptachampion Lewis Hamilton suffered from the Brazilian three-time world champion Nelson Piquet. In a publication on social networks on Tuesday (28), the Monegasque showed support for the Englishman.
In the note, Charles acknowledged Lewis' respectful values and condemned the racist comments, stating that the attitude of discrimination needs to be removed from society. Leclerc was the first driver on the current grid without involvement with Mercedes to speak out on the issue.
"Having known Lewis since I arrived in Formula One, he has always been extremely respectful to me and everyone he meets. These values should be a standard with everyone around the world," he stated.
"The comments made about Lewis should not be tolerated, and we must continue to strive for a more diverse and inclusive sport. We need to remove discriminatory behavior and racist language not only from sport, but from society as well," he followed.
The comment with the use of racist term 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.
Lewis Hamilton responded to Piquet's statement on his social networks. First, he 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 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. The time for action is now," 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 said.
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.