DISGRACED Formula One great Nelson Piquet is reportedly facing a massive lawsuit over his racist comments about Sir Lewis Hamilton.
Video footage emerged last February of the three-time world champion using the N-word to describe Hamilton and making homophobic comments about the Mercedes ace after the 2021 British Grand Prix
Piquet made the disgraceful jibe during an appearance on a podcast in Brazil, where he’s facing a civil suit.
According to O Globo, the former Williams ace – the father of reigning champion Max Verstappen’s girlfriend Kelly – is facing a £1.6million lawsuit from the National LGBT+ Alliance and other groups.
Brazil’s Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Federal District has also joined the campaign to have the 70-year-old reprimanded.
Their petition read: “During the ill-fated interview in which the defendant comments on an accident that occurred at the Silverstone Grand Prix, in England, in July 2021, he refers multiple times to Lewis Hamilton with contempt, without even mentioning the name of the English pilot, referring to him only as ‘n*****’, and also incurring homophobia.
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“In the case under discussion, violations of the rights of the victim and the black and LGBTQIA+ population were configured, considering both the plan of international and national regulations.”
Piquet issued a grovelling apology for his comments, which he insisted weren’t racist.
He said: “I would like to clear the stories circulating in the media about a comment I made in an interview last year.
“What I said was ill thought out, and I make no defence for it, but I will clarify that the term used is one that has widely and historically been used in Brazilian Portuguese for a synonym for ‘guy’ or ‘person’ and was never intended to offend.
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“I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations.
“I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour.
“I apologise wholeheartedly to anyone that was affected, including Lewis, who is an incredible driver, but the translation in some media that is now circulating on social media is not correct.
“Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts in that respect.”
But his apology wasn’t enough to stop him from being banned from the F1 paddock.
Sir Lewis said of Piquet’s comments: “Let’s focus on changing the mindset.
“It’s more than language. 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.”
The F1 season will resume a week on Sunday with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
