Lewis Hamilton: Sports world reacts to Nelson Piquet's racist epithet about F1 star

Brazilian racing legend Nelson Piquet is currently under fire by the sporting world, ever since the video where the 69-year-old uses racial slurs to describe the seven-time F1 world champion, Lewis Hamilton, surfaced. In a video shot in the aftermath of the 51G crash suffered by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after he got entangled with Hamiton’s Mercedes, the three-time world champion can be seen using racial epithets against the British racer. While the F1 and the world motorsports governing body FIA condemned the racial abuse by a former champion, Hamilton also received support from his fellow drivers.

Hamilton took to his official Twitter handle on Tuesday evening and revealed how he has been subject to similar abuses since his childhood. “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,” the 37-year-old said.

'We all need to stand together against discrimination': Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes teammate

Hamilton’s fellow British driver George Russel was one of the first drivers, currently on the grid, to voice his opinion about the same. “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 (sic),” Russel wrote on Twitter.

Charles Leclerc and Daniel Ricciardo call for racist behaviour to be removed 

Meanwhile, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc put out a long paragraph and said he has known Lewis since the time he arrived in F1 and mentioned that the British driver has always been respectful to everyone he meets. Leclerc also pointed out that people need to follow the same standards for everyone in the world. He concluded by saying that discriminatory behaviour and racist language should be removed from the sport and society. 

At the same time, McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo, who has been in the sports since the early 2010s posted a story on his Instagram handle, with his thoughts about Lewis. “Discrimination and racism has no place in this sport or our society. Those who still choose to spread hate and use those words are no friends of mine,” Ricciardo added, while acknowledging Lewis’ effort being spreading messages of equality and combat hate both on and off the track. 

Esteban Ocon, Guanyu Zhou and Nuno Tavares extend support for Lewis Hamilton

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon also put out a tweet reacting to the racial abuse and said people in the sport are proud to have Hamilton at the forefront of the fight for further diversity and inclusion. Ocon went on to add that he stands with the 37-year-old, while adding that all racist or discriminatory language shouldn’t be a part of the sport. “Enough is enough,” Ocon said.

Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu, who drives for Alfa Romeo in F1, revealed his thoughts on Twitter, while Portuguese sensation and Arsenal player Nuno Tavares also opined on the matter. “I join Lewis and the motorsport community in standing against any form of racism, discrimination and prejudice,” Zhou said. On the other hand, Tavares retweeted Hamilton’s tweet and said, “This must stop. Standing with you, @LewisHamilton”.

(Image: @mercedesamgf1/Instagram)