March 25, (THEWILL) – Former Formula One driver, Nelson Piquet, has been ordered to pay £780,000 in moral damages for making racist and homophobic comments about Lewis Hamilton.
The charges stem from Piquet’s remarks in November 2021, when he used a racial slur while discussing Hamilton’s crash with Max Verstappen at the British Grand Prix, as THEWILL reported. Piquet issued an apology, claiming that the comments had been mistranslated, but further clips of him making derogatory comments about Hamilton surfaced later.
Four human rights groups, including Brazil’s National LGBT+ Alliance, brought charges against Piquet, demanding that he pay 10 million Brazilian Reals in moral damages. Judge Pedro Matos de Arrudo ultimately ordered Piquet to pay 5 million Brazilian Reals in damages.
Meanwhile, Hamilton is facing a tough time on the track, with Mercedes struggling to provide him with a fast enough car. This has led to speculation about a possible move to Red Bull, although team Principal, Christian Horner, has denied any interest in Hamilton.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
