Nelson Piquet Facing Conviction In Brazil Over Lewis Hamilton Racist And Homophobic Slurs

Piquet is facing conviction over his comments.

Former champion Nelson Piquet is facing a conviction for the controversial comments about seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton which surfaced last year. 

Piquet made the comments in November 2021 during an interview, where he used racist slurs to describe Hamilton. The comments were obviously met with a huge amount of backlash and resulted in Piquet's ban from the F1 paddock, despite his apology in which he claimed there were translation inaccuracies and denied any racial intent.

Piquet's comments were condemned by many, and now prosecutors in Brazil are seeking a conviction against him for his words. The case is being pursued by groups in Brazil, including Educafro and Aliança Nacional LGBTI+, who have accused Piquet of both racism and homophobia in his comments about Hamilton.

In his comments, Piquet used the term "neguinho" to describe Hamilton as he talked about the clash between Hamilton and Max Verstappen at the 2021 British Grand Prix, who is his daughter's partner.

According to Sky Sports, Piquet said:

"Keke [Rosberg] was s***. He's worthless. His son won a championship."

He went on to say about Hamilton:

"The [racist term] must have been [perceived homophobic slur] at the time. He was pretty bad."

According to O Globo, a major Brazilian outlet, the action is being pursued in the 20th Civil Court of Brasília, and it asks for compensation of R$10 million (£1.64million) for "collective moral damage." 

The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office has also stated that the case "violates the rights of the victim and of the black and LGBTQIA+ population, considering both international and national norms."

Hamilton responded to Piquet's comments by calling for action and change, stating that "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 has done a lot to fight against racism and increase inclusivity and diversity within the sport. Despite the recent FIA ruling which prohibits drivers from making any personal, political, or religious statements, the seven-time champion is adamant he will continue to use his platform to have the necessary "uncomfortable conversations".