Nelson Piquet Apologizes to Formula One Star Lewis Hamilton, Says Meaning of Word Was Taken Out Of Context 

Three-time Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet has apologized to Lewis Hamilton for using a word during a podcast last year that was deemed a racial slur but has also said that the word he used was taken out of context. 

"I would like to clear the stories circulating in the media about a comment I made in an interview last year," Piquet said in a statement, according to ESPN. 

"What I said was ill thought out, and I make no defence for it, but I will clarify that the term used is one that has widely and historically been used in Brazilian Portuguese for a synonym for 'guy' or 'person' and was never intended to offend. I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations.”

According to Sky Sports, the comments from the November podcast circulated on Monday, where Piquet is accused of using a racial slur to describe Lewis when discussing the 2021 British Grand Prix race in which Lewis and Red Bull Racing star Max Verstappen were involved in a crash. 

FORMULA ONE STAR LEWIS HAMILTON CALLS FOR 'ACTION' AFTER NELSON PIQUET USES RACIAL SLUR ON PODCAST: REPORT

The interview was conducted in Portuguese, and Piquet reportedly used an “epithet that can be translated as the N-word,” according to The Guardian.  

"I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour,” Piquet continued in his statement. “I apologise wholeheartedly to anyone that was affected, including Lewis, who is an incredible driver, but the translation in some media that is now circulating on social media is not correct. Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts in that respect."

Formula One has banned Piquet from the paddock indefinitely for his comments, according to ESPN.

On Tuesday, Hamilton responded to Piquet’s comments from last November, calling for “action.” 

“It’s more than language,” Lewis posted to Twitter. “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.”

Formula One and Mercedes, Lewis’ team, both condemned Piquet’s word choice and backed Hamilton.