Lewis Hamilton has issued a passionate and dignified response to Nelson Piquet’s comments, questioning why “we are giving older voices a platform” but also insisting he will “take the high road” and that the scandal will not deter him from striving for progress on and off the track.
On Thursday ahead of the British GP, Hamilton faced the media for the first time following Piquet’s comments surfaced, with the Brazilian former F1 champion having used a racially offensive term when referring to Hamilton.
Piquet apologised on Wednesday and said his comments from November last year were “ill thought out” – but denied any racial intent.
Hamilton had already posted on social media that “archaic mindsets need to change” in response to Piquet, 69, and he expanded at Silverstone.
“I’ve been on the receiving end of racism, criticism, negativity, archaic narratives and undertones of discrimination for a long, long time, and there’s nothing really particularly new for me,” the seven-time F1 champion said. “It’s more about the bigger picture.
“I don’t know why we are continuing to