Yesterday the world of Formula 1 was shaken by an interview released by the three-time world champion Nelson Piquet at the end of 2021 where the Brazilian addressed Lewis Hamilton with racist language.
The fact resulted in widespread condemnation from the entire F1 community with drivers, teams and even the FIA showing full support for the seven-time world champion.
Lewis Hamilton also intervened using his social profiles, stating that the time had come to change these aracic mentalities.
After yesterday’s media storm, Nelson Piquet spoke today with a statement in which he wanted to clarify the whole matter related to an interview released last year.
While admitting that what was declared was “poorly thought out and not defensible”, the Brazilian wanted to emphasize the fact that the offending term “has been widely and historically used colloquially in the Portuguese language as a synonym for ‘boy’ or ‘person’ and it was never intended as an offense. “
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
“I would never have used the word I have been accused of in some translations,” Piquet continued. “I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me for the purpose of belittling a pilot because of his skin color.”
“I wholeheartedly apologize to anyone affected by this, including Lewis, who is an incredible driver, but the translation of some media that is circulating on social media is incorrect. Discrimination has no place in F1 or in society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts on this “.
For correctness we report in full the press release issued by Nelson Piquet.
“I would like to clarify the stories circulating in the media regarding a comment I made in an interview last year.”
“What I said was poorly thought and I do not defend it, but I want to clarify that the term used is a term that has been widely and historically used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for” boy “or” person “and is not never been intended as an offense “.
“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 for the purpose of belittling a pilot because of his skin color ”.
“I sincerely apologize to anyone who has been affected, including Lewis who is an incredible driver, but the translation reported by some media and which is circulating on social media is incorrect. Discrimination has no place in F1 or in society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts in this regard ”.
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