Nelson Piquet denies using racial slur but apologises to Lewis Hamilton

Nelson Piquet has denied making a racist slur against Lewis Hamilton. The Brazilian, a three-time Formula One world champion, says the phrase he used has been mistranslated but admitted his comments were ill thought out and issued an apology to Hamilton.

Piquet’s remarks, made last year but which became public on Monday, described Hamilton with an epithet that can be translated as the N-word. However, after widespread condemnation of his comments, the 69-year-old insisted his comments were not intended to offend.

“I would like to clear up the stories circulating in the media about a comment I made in an interview last year,” the Brazilian said in a statement issued on Wednesday. “What I said was ill thought out, and I make no defence for it, but I will clarify that the term 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.

“I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations. I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour.

“I apologise wholeheartedly to anyone that was affected, including Lewis, who is an incredible driver, but the translation in some media that is now circulating on social media is not correct. Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts in that respect.”

F1 was understood to have banned Piquet from attending races until he issued an apology but his insistence that his remarks were misconstrued is likely to gain little traction. The phrase he used is considered among black people in Brazil to be a derogatory reference to race.

Hamilton, a long-term campaigner