Nelson Pickett there has never been a pilot known to be liked by much of his world Formula 1. As a runner, he gained a reputation for being as fast as he was not very athletic. Famous was his incident against Eliseo Salazar where they clashed during 1982 German Grand Prix or his media battle with Nigel Mansell. The last of these controversies had him as an indirect protagonist Lewis Hamilton.
What has happened between Piquet and Hamilton? And why is it trending in the world of Formula 1? Next, details.
What happened between Nelson Piquet and Lewis Hamilton?
When it seemed that what happened at the 2021 British Grand Prix was already a thing of the past, with the infamous crash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, Nelson Piquet was responsible for re-opening the debate in an inappropriate way.
In an interview that took place in 2021 with the Brazilian journalist Ricardo Oliveirathe three-time world champion made the following comments:
“The one at Silverstone? The black man started the car and drove away. Sena didn’t do that. Sena went straight ahead. Do you really think he wasn’t going to come back? I was like ‘I’ll do it here anyway’. The black guy put the car in and drove off because there was no way two could get through that curve. He played dirty. He was lucky that only the other driver got into a fight.”
Nelson Piquet uses racist term to comment on Hamilton’s crash with Verstappen. help https://t.co/VS7hNBCyYU -via @EstadaoEsporte pic.twitter.com/qfPuSnc9mb
– Estadão 🗞️ (@Estadao) June 27, 2022
The controversy has arisen not so much because of the content of his comments, namely his analysis of what happened at Silverstone, but because of the racist language he displays. Pique uses the term neguinho (black) in just over 40 seconds twice to mention Lewis Hamilton. Not only does it omit the name of the most famous and influential pilot of the last 15 years, it uses terminology that appeals to his race and skin color to name him.
The Formula 1 As an entity, it took some time to distance himself from those comments and show his support for Hamilton just days before his home Grand Prix. “Bias or racist language is unacceptable in any form and is not part of society. Lewis is an incredible ambassador for our sport and deserves respect.” the statement began. “His tireless efforts to increase diversity and inclusion are a lesson to many and something we are committed to at F1.”
On the other hand, Mercedes did the same and published in defense of its pilot: “We condemn in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind. Lewis has led our sport’s efforts to combat racism and is a true champion of diversity on and off the track. Together, we share a vision of diversity and inclusion motorsport and this incident highlights the critical importance of continuing to fight for a better future.”
Finally, Lewis Hamilton spoke about the controversy and did so via his Twitter account with several messages. Among them, the most relevant was the following:
“This is more than just language,” he said referring to the term used by Pique. “These archaic attitudes need to change and have no place in our sport. I have been surrounded by these attitudes and they have set me apart throughout my life. There was plenty of time to learn. It’s time for action.”
🚨 Lewis Hamilton responds to Nelson Piquet’s racist comments.
🗣 “It’s time for action.” pic.twitter.com/DjepCFltMa
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 Spain 🇪🇸 (@sportingnewses) June 28, 2022
It is not the first time that Nelson Piquet has made inappropriate actions or comments, while he was active he had a homophobic attitude towards Ayrton Senna, while in 1997 he hired a promoter in South American Formula 3 where a naked woman was exposed. .
What was Nelson Piquet’s response?
The former Brazilian driver took his time when responding and reacting to the scandal that happened with Hamilton, but on Wednesday, June 29, Piquet issued the following statement:
“What I said was an unfortunate comment and I’m not going to defend it, but I would like to clarify that the term has been used colloquially in the Brazilian-Portuguese language as a synonym for a boy or a person and was never intended to offend.”Pique was justified. “I would never use this word for which I have been accused in some translations. I strongly condemn any suggestion that this word was used by me with the intention of denigrating a pilot because of the color of his skin.”
Eventually, Pique apologized Lewis Hamilton and blamed the translations for the scandal.
Who is Nelson Piquet?
Nelson Pickett (Rio de Janeiro, 1952) was a Formula 1 driver between 1978 and 1991, during which he competed for Ensign, McLaren, Brabham, Williams, Lotus and Benetton.
The Brazilian was world champion three times, 1981 and 1983 with Brabham and 1987 with Williams. During 207 Grands Prix he achieved 23 victories, 60 podiums and 24 pole positions.
His son, Nelsinho Piquet Jr, raced for Renault between 2008 and 2009.
