By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
The three-times Formula 1 World Champion, Nelson Piquet, was ordered by a Brazilian Court on 24 March 2023 to pay five million Brazilian Reals (US$953,000) for making racist and homophobic comments about the seven-times Formula 1 Champion, Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton is the only black driver in Formula1 and the comments were described by the Judge as “pernicious”.
Piquet later apologised but offered no defence of the comments and added that the term he used
“…. is one that has widely and historically been used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for ‘guy’ or ‘person’ and was never intended to offend.”
The World Governing Body of Motorsport, the FIA, has condemned the comments.
The charges were brought against Piquet by four human rights groups, including the Brazil National LGBT+ Alliance, which wanted Piquet to pay ten million Brazilian Reals as alleged moral damages.
It is reported that Piquet may appeal the Court ruling.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘