Lewis Hamilton has claimed ‘archaic mindsets’ need to change, following a possible racial slur directed at him by retired champion Nelson Piquet.
Hamilton made his comments after F1 and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) condemned the racist remarks.
“It’s more than a question of language. These archaic mentalities must change and have no place in our sport. I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life, Hamilton tweeted on Tuesday. There was a lot of time to learn. The time has come to act. »
The only black driver in F1, Hamilton is a seven-time world champion.
He also wrote in Portuguese ” Vamos focar em mudar a mentalidade (Let’s focus on changing the mentality), and replied to another tweet that used an expletive about Piquet, a 69-year-old Brazilian who won three F1 championship titles.
Piquet was discussing an accident between Hamilton and Max Verstappen at the British Grand Prix last year when he used the word ” neguinho – which means “little black” – in November, in a YouTube podcast called Enerto.
The word is not necessarily a racial slur in Brazil, but it is an expression that is increasingly seen as distasteful, and its wording can also accentuate it.
Piquet’s comment didn’t go viral at the time, but suddenly did on Monday, although it’s unclear why that is so long after the interview.
Piquet is a staunch supporter of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right politician seeking re-election in 100 days.
“Discriminatory or racist language is unacceptable in any form and has no place in society. Lewis is an incredible ambassador for our sport and deserves respect, F1 said in a statement. His tireless efforts to increase diversity and inclusion are a lesson to many, and it’s something we hold dear in F1. »
FIFA support
Hamilton has campaigned tirelessly to tackle racism and has been outspoken about human rights abuses in countries where F1 races.
The FIA also defended Hamilton. “The FIA strongly condemns any racist or discriminatory remarks and behavior which have no place in sport or in society in general,” the FIA wrote. We express our solidarity with @LewisHamilton and fully support their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in motorsport. »
The Mercedes team moved from silver cars – known as “the Silver Arrows” – to an all-black car in 2020 to support its driver Hamilton’s efforts to fight racism. Hamilton and most of his colleagues have taken a knee before races in 2020 and 2021 as a sign of the fight against racism. He also set up the Hamilton Commission to improve diversity in F1.
“We condemn in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory terms of any kind. Lewis has spearheaded our sport’s efforts to combat racism, and he is a true champion of diversity on and off the track, Mercedes clarified on Twitter. Together we share a vision for a diverse and inclusive motorsport, and this incident underlines the fundamental importance of continuing to fight for a better future. »
Two years ago, Hamilton slammed former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone’s “ignorant and uneducated” comments. The pilot was shocked by Ecclestone’s assertion during an interview with broadcaster CNN that “in many cases black people are more racist” than white people.
Piquet was crowned world champion three times in the 1980s and won 23 races. His daughter Kelly Piquet is Max Verstappen’s girlfriend.
The British Grand Prix is presented this weekend at Silverstone.