Verstappen: Piquet 'not a racist'

Defending Formula 1 Drivers' Champion and current leader Max Verstappen says that the language used by Nelson Piquet to describe Lewis Hamilton was "very offensive," but that the three-time champion and father of his girlfriend, Kelly Piquet, is not racist.

"I've spent a bit of time with Nelson, and he's definitely not a racist and he's actually a really nice and relaxed guy," Verstappen said ahead of Sunday's British Grand Prix.

Piquet, 69, twice used a derogatory term in Portuguese to describe Hamilton in an interview given late last year. In the interview, Piquet, who won F1 titles in 1981, 1983 and 1987, also accused Hamilton of deliberately crashing into Verstappen during the 2021 British Grand Prix's opening lap. Piquet has since apologized to Hamilton, calling his words "ill-thought out," but denied any racist intention. In response, F1 has reportedly pulled Piquet's paddock pass indefinitely.

Verstappen believes Piquet's remarks were "blown out of proportion."

"I think he realized it was probably not the correct word to use, and clearly it is not," the Dutchman said. "It can be interpreted in two ways and of course people pick up on the bad side and of course it gets really blown, I think, out of proportion. I know Nelson personally and people of course label him as a racist now which I don't think he is, but I fully agree that you cannot use these words."

He also went on to say that he doesn't think it's his place to reprimand Piquet for his language.

"It's not up to me to talk to my father-in-law," Verstappen said. "You're not going to say, 'Hey man, that's not correct'. I think he knows himself. I don't think he needs me to say what is right and what isn't. He said it himself in his statement, he used the