Nelson Piquet previously faced backlash for making uncalled-for remarks about Lewis Hamilton, and now his son too, has landed in hot water with the community. His recent comments about Hamilton and former teammate George Russell have grabbed the attention for the wrong reasons.
On the Pelas Pistas podcast, Nelson Piquet Jr. remarked that older-generation drivers like his father, in the 1970s and ’80s, were pretty candid in front of the mic. He believes that is completely missing today, stating that modern drivers have become like “polished robots.”
This sparked an exchange that particularly upset Hamilton fans.
Piquet Jr. and his co-hosts mentioned the Briton in passing while criticizing Russell’s known diplomatic behavior.
“He says things when he already plans everything. He comes from a generation that is already like that, plus he learned that from Hamilton,” Piquet Jr. said. “Everything he says is calculated. He thinks about everything.”
Christian Fittipaldi, also part of the podcast, claimed that Russell looked like a ‘Playmobil’ figure. “You could also compare it to Thunderbirds. Or Chicken Run, maybe?”, he added.
On the other hand, Fittipaldi and Piquet—both sons of former World Champions—praised Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso for ‘stepping out of the box’ and being honest with their opinions. And this infuriated Hamilton loyalists, who adore him for being one of the most vocal drivers on the grid.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) stated, “Piquet family should keep the Hamilton name out of their mouths, I’m so serious.”
this piquet family should keep the hamilton name out of their mouths im so serious.
everything they are saying here reeks. they imply that lewis doesn’t speak his mind while also vilifying him for speaking his mind. george must be doing something right to get on their nerves. pic.twitter.com/slrOYOjlJn
— sim (@simsgazette) February 23, 2025
Meanwhile, some felt that mere booing wouldn’t be enough for the likes of Piquet Jr. and Fittipaldi, suggesting more drastic measures.
Booing is not enough I need people to throw bricks and tomatoes at his family him and his team
And fitipaldi and massa and Alonso https://t.co/FUSVSqpdl5— ZAR (@Z0L1ZAA) February 23, 2025
Another user pointed out that Piquet Jr. struggled against Hamilton in the junior categories, suggesting this could be the reason for his long-standing bitterness.
Piquet Junior got a belt taken to him in junior categories by Lewis and he’s stayed bitter ever since.
Also Alonso doesn’t speak truthfully, he’s the ultimate PR operator including his outbursts about Lewis, which again, solidly from a jealous place, only appeal to his base https://t.co/DoakXzK8lY
— Jenson Puffin ہائدی ⬛ (@MissOoo1g) February 23, 2025
While it seemed more like a dig at Russell than an attack on Hamilton, the reaction from Hamilton’s fans is likely an aftereffect of Piquet Sr.’s past remarks.
Piquet Sr.’s controversial comments about Hamilton
Back in 2022, Piquet Sr. used a racially offensive term against Hamilton on a Brazilian podcast, sparking widespread backlash against the three-time world champion. He was later ordered to pay a fine of a million dollars for his remarks.
Hamilton, then a Mercedes driver, responded by calling for a shift in mindset rather than just condemning the language used by Piquet Sr. “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,” he said.
Nelson Piquet racism row escalates as homophobic slur against Lewis Hamilton emerges pic.twitter.com/jSqttGXg8h
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 1, 2022
Although Piquet Sr. apologized and acknowledged his mistake, the social media community, particularly Hamilton’s supporters, continued to scrutinize him for some time.
