Piquet awarding the “pole position tyre” prize to former Mercedes and now Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas at the Austrian Grand Prix in 2018. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP)
Three-time Formula 1 champion Nelson Piquet was fined $945 000 (R17 170 933) by a court this past Saturday (25 March) in Brazil for racist remarks made against seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who he called “neguinho” (“little black”) in an interview.
A court in the country’s capital Brasilia ruled that these “intolerable” remarks constituted a “serious offence to the fundamental values of society”.
Piquet was fined for “collective moral damages” with the money being donated to groups fighting against discrimination.
World champion in 1981, 1983 and 1987, Piquet used the word “neguinho” in an interview in 2021 when he criticised Hamilton’s role in a clash with Max Verstappen, his daughter Kelly’s boyfriend, at the British Grand Prix the same year.
“The little black guy [Lewis Hamilton] put the car in and left because there was no way to pass two cars on that corner. He made a joke. Lucky for him, only the other one [Verstappen] got f***** up”,” a translated extract of the Brazilian’s comments read.
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Mercedes driver Hamilton later denounced Piquet’s comments as having been made with an “archaic attitude” that “had to change”.
In a related statement, the Brit’s Mercedes team remarked, “Lewis has spearheaded our sport’s efforts to combat racism, and he is a true champion of diversity on and off track.
“Together, we share a vision for a diverse and inclusive motorsport, and this incident underlines the fundamental importance of continuing to strive for a brighter future”.
Piquet, who was reportedly not allowed into the pitlane on the eve of his remarks being uncovered before last year’s British Grand Prix, later issued a “wholehearted” apology.
“What I said was wrong and I’m not going to defend myself, but I want to clarify that this term has often been used in Brazilian Portuguese to describe ‘guy’ or ‘person’ and that it was never intended to offend,” he insisted”.
He further added, “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”.
However, the court was not convinced, ruling that “the absence of intention could not justify discriminatory behaviour towards minorities”.
Additional information by Charl Bosch
