Piquet fined for racist comments about Hamilton

Three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet has been ordered to pay five million Brazilian Reals (£780,000) for making racist and homophobic comments about Lewis Hamilton.

The 70-year-old Brazilian used a racially offensive term in referring to Hamilton in an interview in 2021.

Hamilton called for “archaic mindsets” to change after the footage surfaced.

Piquet later apologised for his “illthought-out” racially abusive remark about the British Mercedes driver.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton is the sport’s only black driver.

The charges against Piquet were brought by four human rights groups, including Brazil’s National LGBT+ Alliance, which wanted Piquet to pay 10 million Brazilian Reals for alleged moral damages.