Nelson Piquet used homophobic language against Lewis Hamilton in a podcast interview, it has emerged.
The three-time former world champion used the phrase in a podcast when he described how Hamilton lost the 2016 championship to Nico Rosberg.
He said of Hamilton, “The [racist term] it must have been [homophobic slur] at the time. It was pretty bad. “
It comes days after Piquet apologized “wholeheartedly” to Hamilton for using a racial insult.
The 69-year-old was said to have used language equivalent to or similar to the word N while talking about a collision between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in a 2021 Brazilian podcast.
Addressing that interview, Piquet had said he “strongly condemned” any suggestion that his comments were intentionally racist, and said it had been mistranslated since the interview was in Portuguese.
The British Racing Drivers’ Club – owner of the Silverstone circuit that hosts the British Grand Prix – has now suspended Piquet’s honorary membership.
Sky Sports News understands that Piquet will not be able to return to the paddock after his comments.
SSN journalist Craig Slater said: “Piquet has spoken about colloquia in Brazilian Portuguese, which has been part of the controversies we have had related to this in the past and which include other high-profile athletes.
“He has apologized, but I understand that this has been beyond anything and that in the foreseeable future he will not be welcome back in the Formula 1 paddock.”
Image: Nelson Piquet photographed at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix PIC: AP
After Piquet’s statements initially came to light, the governing body of Formula 1 and Hamilton’s Mercedes team immediately condemned “in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind.”
Hamilton also responded, tweeting, “It’s more than a language. These archaic mindsets have to change and have no place in our sport. I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and I’ve been aiming for my whole life. It’s been a long time. to learn. Time. has come into action “.
Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone had defended Piquet, saying he was surprised Hamilton had not “rejected” him and defended Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Without mentioning the name Piquet or Ecclestone, Hamilton said, “I don’t know why we keep giving a platform to these bigger voices because they talk about our sport and we’re looking to go to a completely different place. And it’s not. Rep, I think , who we are now as a sport and where we are planning to go “.
“Those old voices are, you know, unconsciously or consciously. They don’t agree that people like me, for example, should do a sport like this. I don’t agree with women being here.”
Image: Max Verstappen from Red Bull with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet
His F1 teammate Max Verstappen, who ranks first in the ranking and in a relationship with Piquet’s daughter, said the man calling his father-in-law had used a “very, very offensive word”, but added which he does not consider to be racist.
Piquet has said that he believes that discrimination has no place in F1 or society, and in addressing the language he used, he added: “What I said was ill-thought out, and I will not defend it, but I clarify that the term used is one that has been widely and historically used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for “man” or “person” and was never intended to offend.
“I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations. I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word be used with the aim of belittling a driver for his skin color.”