NELSON PIQUET could be fined £1.5million after a Brazilian judge ordered an investigation into the three-time Formula 1 champion’s disgusting racist and homophobic comments to Lewis Hamilton.
The 69-year-old used outrageous statements while referring to the British F1 hero at a podcast appearance last November.
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His words came to light for the British Grand Prix earlier this month and subsequently saw him barred from the paddock.
According to the Mirrora human rights group has filed suit against Piquet – citing “moral harm to black and LGBTQ+ people”.
The Brazilian has apologized for his despicable words, but now has 15 days to refer his case to Felipe Costa da Fonseca Gomes of the Federal Court of Distrito.
Piquet could be ordered to pay £1.5 million in damages.
F1 condemned his comments as “unacceptable in any form and has no part in society”.
While Hamilton37, said prior to the British GP“I’ve been on the receiving end of racism and those negative and archaic stories and undertones of discrimination.
“I’m not sure why we keep giving these elderly people a platform.
“They talk about the sport, but we want to go in a different direction. It’s the bigger picture.
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“It is now a knee-jerk response from companies around the world.
“They probably all already have a script ready for that crisis management. It is not enough. It’s about action now.
“It is more necessary than ever to bring people together. It is not helpful the comments we see from these people.
“People who haven’t been relevant in the sport for years are trying to bring me down, but I’m still here.”
Piquet, whose daughter Kelly is dating Hamilton’s rival Max Verstappen, apologized for his wordssaying, “What I said was ill-considered, and I’m not defending it, but I’ll clarify that the term used is one that has been commonly and historically used in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for ‘man’ or ‘person’ and was never intended to offend.
“I would never use the word I’ve been accused of in some translations.
“I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word has been used by me for the purpose of belittling a driver because of his skin color.
“I offer my sincere apologies to everyone affected, including Lewis, who is an incredible driver, but the translation in some media now circulating on social media is not correct.
“Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts on that.”
Verstappen next defended Piquetamazingly claiming that his words were “blown out of proportion”.
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