Former Formula 1 champion Nelson Piquet is reportedly facing a lifetime ban from the F1 paddock in the future due to controversial comments made about Lewis Hamilton during an interview last year, according to TMZ Sports.
The potential ban comes after CNN Brazil translated comments made last year after an accident between Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who happens to be Piquet’s daughter’s boyfriend. According to the translation, Piquet referred to Hamilton as a “little n*gg**.”
On Wednesday morning, the 69-year-old issued a statement saying he would never use the word and that the translation was inaccurate.
Nelson Piquet has issued an apology to Lewis Hamilton for language he used on a podcast appearance last year. pic.twitter.com/nBNN0KqGMD
“What I said was ill-thought-out, and I make no defense for it, but the term used has widely and historically been used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for ‘guy’ or ‘person’ and was never intended to offend,” Piquet’s statement read.“I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations. I strongly condemn any suggestion word was used with aim of belittling a driver because of his skin color. I apologize wholeheartedly to anyone affected.”Despite the apology, Piquet is reportedly facing a lifetime ban from the F1 paddock.https://twitter.com/autosport/status/1542129596459622400
After Piquet’s comments first went viral, the seven-time champion Hamilton called for a change on social media.
“It’s more than language,” Hamilton wrote. “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.”https://twitter.com/LewisHamilton/status/1541750081296244736?s=20&t=3rUCwhsFrBlAy8vrkLQF_AWe will have to see what F1 decides to do about the controversy moving forward.
