Who is Nelson Piquet and what did he say about Lewis Hamilton?

NELSON PIQUET has come under heavy fire for using racist language while referring to seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton is one of the greatest drivers in the sport, topping the leaderboard in all title wins with Michael Schumacher.

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Just last year, Hamilton missed out on a record eighth title when Max Verstappen beat him to the gong in Abu Dhabi.

Coincidentally, Verstappen’s girlfriend Kelly Piquet’s father is Nelson, himself a former three-time world champion.

The Brazilian was known for making controversial and outlandish comments as a driver.

And he’s made headlines again for using racial slurs while discussing Hamilton.

Who is Nelson Piquet?

A three-time world champion, Piquet is one of the most decorated drivers in F1 history.

He won his first title with Brabham in 1981 before winning another with the same team just two years later.

Piquet then joined Williams for two years and won his third title in his second year with the British team.

The Brazilian announced his retirement from the sport in 1992 and has been trying to race in the Indy 500 ever since.

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He has also managed his son, Nelson Piquet Jr., who was a test driver for Renault in 2007.

Piquet also started his own racing team, Piquet Sports, in 2000.

The 69-year-old also has seven children, the third oldest Kelly is Verstappen’s girlfriend.

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What did Piquet say about Hamilton?

The Brazilian used a derogatory term when discussing the 2021 British GP in an interview last November.

He also used a homophobic phrase towards Hamilton when describing how Rosberg beat him for the championship in 2016.

Piquet, whose daughter Kelly is in a relationship with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, slammed into Hamilton at Silverstone, where he made contact with the Dutchman on an explosive first lap.

Verstappen was thrown into the barriers and taken to hospital for a check, while Hamilton won his home race for an eighth time.

Piquet claims Hamilton is to blame, referencing him with the offensive term, which was initially overlooked by local Brazilian media.

The 68-year-old apologized for what he felt was an “ill-considered” comment made in November last year.

A statement from Piquet said: “What I said was ill thought out and I am not defending myself for that.”

He added: “I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me to disparage a driver because of the color of his skin.

“My heartfelt apologies to everyone involved including Lewis who is an incredible driver but the translation in some media that is now circulating on social media is incorrect.

“Discrimination has no place in Formula 1 or in society and I am happy to explain my thoughts on this.”

What was Lewis Hamilton’s response?

Hamilton, who arrived at Silverstone today in a colorful outfit, said: “I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported the sport, especially the drivers.

“It’s been two years since we took our knees in Austria. Of course we still face challenges.

“I was on the receiving end of racism and those negative and archaic narratives and undertones of discrimination.

“I’m not sure why we continue to provide a platform to these older people.

“You talk about the sport, but we want to go in a different direction. It’s the big picture.

“It’s now a knee-jerk response from companies around the world.

“They all probably already have a script ready for this crisis management. It’s not enough. Now it’s about action.

“More than ever, we need to bring people together. The comments we see from these people are not helpful.

“People who haven’t been relevant in sport for years are trying to bring me down, but I’m still here.”