Three-time Formula One champion Nelson Piquet got into troubled waters for a video that went viral recently in which he used a racial slur to describe Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton while recollecting the collision between the Brit and reigning world champion Max Verstappen at Silverstone in last year’s race.
Nelson Piquet, the father of Verstappen’s partner Kelly Piquet, was one of the people miffed about the incident from a year ago and blamed Hamilton for the part he played in Verstappen’s ‘Did Not Finish’ result, as he went crashing down the tyre barricade after the Red Bull driver’s rear wheel came in contact with Hamilton’s automobile.
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Verstappen said that Piquet shouldn’t have used the word that he did but people shouldn’t jump to conclusions as is.
“I think the wording that was used, even with the different kinds of cultures and things they probably said when they were younger, was not correct."
Piquet apologised for the handling of the term but claimed that his usage of the word has a different contextual meaning in his native tongue, the Portuguese language.
“Let it be a lesson for the future not to use that word because it’s very offensive, especially nowadays it gains more traction", said Verstappen.
But, the Dutchman said it might be unfair to brand Piquet a racist based on this isolated incident.
“I’ve spent a bit of time with Nelson, probably more than the average person in general, and he’s definitely not a racist," said the current F1 championship leader.
“He’s actually a nice and pretty relaxed guy. Also, in the statement he released, I think you can see the word in two ways, but I think it is still just better not to use it."
“But it’s not only about that word, it’s not about the N-word, in general, it’s using offensive language to anyone of any colour, is not correct. And that’s what we have to work on all over the world, not just in F1 with Lewis but to anyone in the world", explained Verstappen who made his stance on racism clear.
Piquet has reportedly been banned from entering the paddock after having his lifetime paddock access, honoured to him due to his three championships, revoked.
Verstappen felt that a ban on Piquet entering the paddock was counterproductive as that would result in a lack of a communication channel.
“I think it’s better to open a conversation than ban him. Because when you ban people, you are actually not even helping the situation, you are not talking."
The 24-year-old felts that it is better to sit down and have a chat directly, instead of slapping a ban on the former driver.
“You have to communicate and communication is really important. Because if you just ban, it is not helping what you are trying to enforce, right? You are trying to educate people, so it is better to have a chat.
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