Lewis Hamilton has finally got justice after three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet has his appeal denied after he was fined a whopping $1,000,000 for racist and homophobic remarks he made in 2021. While the 70-year-old eventually apologized for his remarks, the damage had already been done.
According to uol.com, the decision was taken by the TJ-DF (Federal District Court of Justice). The TJ-DF decided that Piquet would pay a compensation of $1,000,000. This money would then be used to promote racial equality and discrimination against LGBTQIA+.
What happened between Nelson Piquet and Lewis Hamilton?
Nelson Piquet made headlines all around the world in 2021 after he used a racial slur against Lewis Hamilton. Piquet had said something in Portuguese that translates to “little black guy“.
The 70-year-old made these remarks following the conclusion of the 2021 British Grand Prix. Piquet believed that Hamilton deliberately collided with his daughter Kelly’s boyfriend, Max Verstappen.
“The little black guy put the car in and didn’t let [the other driver swerve]”, said the Brazilian in an interview on the Motorsport Talk YouTube channel. Despite being targeted with such language, Hamilton did not say much rather than simply condemning it.
O Canal Enerto postou no YouTube um corte de uma entrevista que Nelson Piquet deu em 03/11/2021 para Ricardo Oliveira. No trecho, Nelson comenta o acidente entre Lewis e Max em Silverstone. Quando vai se referir a Lewis, Piquet utiliza uma palavra de conotação racista. Confira: pic.twitter.com/FzKCJaPZPI
— Fofocas do Paddock (@fofocaspaddock) June 22, 2022
The Briton just sent a series of Tweets in which he condemned people with these “archaic mindsets“. However, Hamilton did make it clear that it was now time for “action.” He seemed to have had enough, having been targeted by similar incidents his “whole life“.
It’s more than language. 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. There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action.
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) June 28, 2022
F1, FIA, and other sportspeople come out in support of Hamilton
Following this shocking incident, the sporting world united in support of Lewis Hamilton. Not only did several F1 drivers such as Charles Leclerc and George Russell voice out their concerns, but also others such as the FIA and Naomi Osaka.
Both Leclerc and Russell made it clear that there was no place for “discrimination” in the sport. On similar lines, the FIA also condemned the racist language used and reiterated their “commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in motorsport“.
— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) June 28, 2022
Huge respect to LH. He has done more for the sport than any driver in history, not just on track but off it. The fact that he and so many others are STILL having to deal with this behaviour is unacceptable. We all need to stand together against discrimination of any kind. https://t.co/E4c1jFQKtf
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) June 28, 2022
The FIA strongly condemns any racist or discriminatory language and behaviour, which have no place in sport or wider society. We express our solidarity with @LewisHamilton and fully support his commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in motor sport.
— FIA (@fia) June 28, 2022
And then there were also celebrities from other sports such as Osaka who came out in support of Hamilton. The Japanese star reiterated a point from Hamilton’s Tweet, where the Briton states that there “has been plenty of time to learn“.
Emphasis on “there has been plenty of time to learn.” https://t.co/UeL1AuyeuE
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) June 28, 2022
