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Since Lewis Hamilton joined the Formula 1 circuit in 2007, he has been the most vocal driver in the sport about the need for Black drivers and diversity.
After the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, he kept the discussion alive in 2021, saying: "It could be said that last year it was 'trendy' to talk about diversity, but you have to follow the words with the actions. We must continue to talk about it," per Insider.
Hamilton's race has been brought to the forefront of the conversation again, this time by Nelson Piquet, who called Hamilton a racially charged term in Portuguese in talking about a Hamilton crash with fellow driver Max Verstappen.
The comment occurred in November on a podcast called "Enerto." Although it flew under the radar then, it went viral Monday, which led to Hamilton, Formula 1 and Mercedes -- with which Hamilton has been driving since 2013 -- responding in kind.
"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," Hamilton tweeted Tuesday.
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)
He followed it up with "vamos focar em mudar a mentalidade" -- Portuguese for "let's focus on changing the mindset."
Formula 1's statement was also critical of Piquet, without naming him.
“Discriminatory or racist language is unacceptable in any form and has no part in society," it said. "Lewis is an incredible ambassador for our sport and deserves respect. His tireless efforts to increase diversity and inclusion are a lesson to many and something we are committed to at F1.”
Mercedes used similarly strong language.
“We condemn in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind. Lewis has spearheaded our sport’s efforts to combat racism, and he is a true champion of diversity on and off track," it said on Twitter. “Together, we share a vision for a diverse and inclusive motorsport, and this incident underlines the fundamental importance of continuing to strive for a brighter future.”
Piquet raced in F1 from 1978 to 1991, winning championships in 1981, 1983, and 1987. Hamilton has won a record-tying seven world championships to date.
Verstappen and Hamilton were involved in collisions at the Italian and British Grand Prix last year. Piquet was referring to the accident at the British Grand Prix, which may explain the timing of these comments coming to light with the 2022 British Grand Prix this weekend.
