---
title: "F1 and Mercedes condemn Piquet’s racist slur about Hamilton"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2022/06/28/f1-and-mercedes-condemn-piquets-racist-slur-about-hamilton/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths"
section: "F1 News"
published: "2022-06-28T10:00:55Z"
modified: "2022-06-28T10:00:57Z"
---

# F1 and Mercedes condemn Piquet’s racist slur about Hamilton

Formula 1 and Mercedes have issued statements condemning racist language appeared to be used by three-time world champion Nelson Piquet towards Lewis Hamilton.

The matter has been raised after a clip of an interview Piquet conducted in Portuguese with Motorsports Talks Channel in November last year surfaced across social media.

In part of the interview, Piquet was asked about the collision between Hamilton and Max Verstappen – who is in a relationship with his daughter Kelly – at the 2021 British Grand Prix.

It appears that when speaking about the incident, the Brazilian refers to Hamilton as “neguinho”, which can be interpreted as a racist term.

Hamilton has been a leading voice in promoting greater diversity in F1, urging for greater inclusion of BAME individuals throughout the wider spectrums of motorsport.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, F1 said: “Discriminatory or racist language is unacceptable in any form and has no part in society.

“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.”

Hamilton’s Mercedes team also released a statement, praising the seven-time world champion’s efforts to push for a more diverse and inclusive environment.

“We condemn in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind,” Mercedes’ statement read.

“Lewis has spearheaded our sport’s efforts to combat racism, and he is a true champion of diversity on and off track.

“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.”