Nelson Piquet is dealing with a court docket listening to and a possible £1.5 million superb
Ex-System 1 champion Nelson Piquet is due in court docket in his native Brazil the place he might be hit with a superb of £1.5 million after a human rights group pressed costs in opposition to the 69-year-old for inflicting ‘ethical injury’ to black and the LGBTQ+ group following his controversial feedback in opposition to Lewis Hamilton, in response to the Mirror.
Footage exhibiting Piquet referring to British driver Hamilton with Brazilian-Portuguese racist and homophobic phrases throughout a podcast filmed in November turned viral on-line final month – with Piquet utilizing the phrases whereas discussing Hamilton’s tussle with rival Max Verstappen not less than season’s British Grand Prix.
Piquet has since apologized for utilizing the controversial language and denied that it was supposed to have racist overtones.
Nevertheless, his apology wasn’t fairly sufficient for the human rights group to lodge a proper criticism – with a Sao Paolo subsequently ordering an investigation.
Piquet will now have 15 days to rearrange a defence to decide Felipe Costa da Fonseca Gomes of the Distrito Federal court docket – with costs together with a request that Piquet be fined £1.5 million ($ 1.eight million) for utilizing the offensive phrases.
The Brazilian’s interview was strongly criticized in F1 circles, together with by well-regarded names like Damon Hill and Jenson Button.
Piquet, although, says that his feedback weren’t supposed to be offensive.
“What I mentioned was sick thought out, and I make no defence for it, however I’ll make clear that the time period used is one which has broadly and traditionally been used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for ‘man’ or ‘particular person’ and was by no means supposed to offend,” he mentioned.
“I’d by no means use the phrase I’ve been accused of in some translations. I strongly condemn any suggestion that the phrase was utilized by me with the intention of belittling a driver due to his pores and skin shade.
“I apologize wholeheartedly to anybody that was affected, together with Lewis, who’s an unimaginable driver, however the translation in some media that’s now circulating on social media will not be appropriate. Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I’m blissful to make clear my ideas in that respect.”
Hamilton didn’t settle for the apology.
The British driver, who’s tied with Michael Schumacher for probably the most world championships within the sport’s historical past, mentioned that Piquet’s feedback have been proof that F1 is in dire want of a tradition shift.
“It is greater than language,” Hamilton mentioned.
“These are archaic mindsets want to alter and haven’t any place in our sport. I have been surrounded by these attitudes and focused my complete life. There was loads of time to study. Time has come for motion.”
Experiences of Piquet being due in court docket come after three Brazilian politicians accused him of being responsible of a racial crime, and requested that the courts launch a probe.
Each F1 and Hamilton’s staff, Mercedes, have additionally indicated their anger at Piquet’s remarks, with a System 1 officers stating that they are “unacceptable in any type and has no half in society.”