British Racing Drivers’ Club suspends Nelson Piquet’s honorary membership after racial remarks against Lewis Hamilton

British Racing Drivers’ Club suspends Nelson Piquet’s honorary membership after racial remarks against Lewis Hamilton

Nelson Piquet

After a Brazilian interview from November 2021 resurfaced in which 3-time Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet used racial slurs against Lewis Hamilton, the Brazilian former F1 driver was roundly denounced by people over the world.

After that, Piquet apologised, admitting that what he had said in his native Portuguese was “ill thought out, and I make no defence for it.” His usage of the term “is one that has widely and historically been used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for “man” or “person” and was never intended to offend,” he continued.

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Also Read: Six-time Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx extends his support for Lewis Hamilton amidst being subject to racial slur

Nelson Piquet stripped off of honorary BRDC membership

The BRDC(British Racing Drivers' Club)
The BRDC(British Racing Drivers’ Club)

The British Grand Prix will be held at Silverstone this weekend, and the non-profit organisation that owns the track, the BRDC(British Racing Drivers’ Club) has released an official statement “noting” his apologies. But it still anticipates that after the mandatory seven-day period of notice, the board will revoke Piquet’s honorable membership.

The statement from the BRDC read: “The BRDC Board of Directors has noted that, in a Brazilian podcast last November, Nelson Piquet Senior, an Honorary Member of the BRDC, described Lewis Hamilton using a racially offensive expression in Portuguese. The apology issued yesterday by Mr Piquet Sr has also been noted.”

“In view of the BRDC’s zero-tolerance policy towards any act involving or suggesting racism, the BRDC Board has concluded that Mr Piquet Sr’s use of racially offensive language to describe a fellow BRDC member (and seven-time world champion) is unacceptable and represents conduct that is wholly inappropriate for an Honorary Member of the BRDC, notwithstanding his subsequent apology. Accordingly, we have advised Mr Piquet Sr that his membership has been suspended with immediate effect,” further read the official declaration.

Also Read: Ferrari pledges support to Lewis Hamilton amidst Nelson Piquet’s absurd rant: “We stand alongside F1, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes

Also Read: George Russell comes out in support of teammate Lewis Hamilton : “He has done more for the sport than any driver in history”