Max Verstappen: “We’re in full support of Lewis Hamilton”
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Max Verstappen says that he is behind Lewis Hamilton and the initiative against racism.
The outrage over the racial slur used by Nelson Piquet for Lewis Hamilton looks likely to continue. The comments had been made last year on a Brazilian podcast when Piquet was talking about Max Verstappen’s crash with Lewis Hamilton. Many drivers have come out in support of Lewis Hamilton, and people wanted Max Verstappen to do the same.
As for Piquet, while he has apologized, the apology was not taken very well, and he received further criticism for it. Currently, reports say that he has been banned from the Formula 1 paddock for life. Perhaps there will be even more repercussions for the Brazilian, only time will tell. Lewis Hamilton has said that irrelevant ‘older voices’ like Piquet do not deserve a platform.
People felt that it was important for Max Verstappen to also come out in support of Lewis Hamilton. Kelly Piquet, Max Verstappen’s partner, is the daughter of Nelson Piquet. She also recently liked an Instagram post from her relative which defended her father and was slammed on social media for doing so.
Max Verstappen feels it’s more important to ‘open a conversation’ than to ban Piquet
In an interview with Sky Sports, Max Verstappen first made it clear that he is behind the initiative against racism, saying:
“He has my respect like any other driver, all the same. He knows how I feel and think about the situation, just like any other driver. Together with F1 and Lewis, we are all behind the initiative already. We’re in full support.”
Despite saying that the word used by Piquet was very offensive, Verstappen emphasized that he is not in fact a racist person, and claimed that the Brazilian knew he was wrong in using the words. Piquet had defended himself by saying that the Portuguese term ‘neguinho’ was used colloquially as a synonym for a guy.
Verstappen said: “It’s not up to me to talk to my father-in-law. You’re not going to say, ‘Hey man, that’s not correct’. I think he knows himself.”
He also said that perhaps banning Piquet was not the best solution:
“It’s better to open a conversation instead of banning people When you ban people, you are actually not helping the situation,” he explained. You’re not talking. You have to communicate. It’s really important, because if you just ban it’s not helping what you’re trying to enforce. You’re trying to educate people, you’re trying to have a chat. These things can be very easily solved.”
Verstappen does not think that Piquet should have been banned from the paddock, especially as a three-time world champion, Not everyone is pleased with Verstappen’s response, and it has in fact drawn some controversy on social media, but there have also been people supporting him for the same.
Also Read: “I do think they’re fairly even”: David Croft on Max Verstappen- Charles Leclerc rivalry
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)