Brazilian Justice on Monday received a complaint filed against former Formula One driver Nelson Piquet for his racist and homophobic statements against British Lewis Hamilton and gave him 15 days to clarify it.
The process was filed by four associations defending the rights of the black and homosexual population and it was accepted for processing by a magistrate of the Brazilian Court of Justice, who gave Piquet 15 days to make a statement.
In it, the entities request compensation from Piquet of 10 million reais (about 1.8 million dollars)an amount to be allocated to organizations defending the rights of the black movement and the LGBT+population.
The accusation is based on statements made by Piquet, champion of the top motorsports category in 1981, 1983 and 1987, in an interview released on the internet, where he several times referred to Hamilton as “that black”.
What Piquet is referring to are Hamilton’s maneuvers at the Silverstone Grand Prix last year, which nearly caused a collision with Dutchman Max Verstappen, whose girlfriend is the son of a former Brazilian driver.
Piquet also used a homophobic comment to justify Hamilton’s performance. in the 2016 championship, which was won by German Nico Rosberg.
Hamilton, seven -time Formula One champion and participant in global anti -racism campaigns, He denied Piquet’s statements and asked to leave “archaic mentalities with no place in the sport.”
The British driver also received the unity of almost the entire world of motorsports.
Piquet’s statements were condemned by the FIA, Formula One management and by almost every team in the top class, including Ferrari, McLaren, Aston Martin and Alpine.
Piquet, faced with this wave of general rejection, released a note in which he apologized and said he did not understand.
“It’s sad what I said, and I’m not defending that, but I will clarify that the term is one of those long used in the Brazilian Portuguese language as a synonym for ‘type’ or ‘person,’ ”Piquet tried to justify.
He said he would never “use” the word “black” to “make a pilot look small because of the color of his skin.” and apologize to everyone affected, including Lewis, who was a good driver.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
