Piquet banned from F1 after Lewis Hamilton racism storm

Nelson Piquet will be banned from the F1 paddock after using a racial slur against Lewis Hamilton.

The Brazilian made the comments about Mercedes driver Hamilton in an interview last year, comments which only came to light this week and drew widespread criticism.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton responded by calling for change and a shift from the "archaic mindsets" which drive such opinions.

Piquet released a statement earlier on Wednesday [June 29] apologising for the language used, although the three-time champion claimed there were translation inaccuracies and denied any racial intent.

But GPFans understands that F1 will not allow Piquet back into the paddock as a result of his comments.

F1 drivers rally behind Hamilton

F1 drivers and teams rallied to the defence of Hamilton, with many saying they "stand with Lewis" against racism.

The sport has, led by Hamilton, increased efforts to drive inclusivity in the sport by creating a more diverse paddock - promoting an increase in personnel from minority backgrounds such as women and LGBTQ+ and BME backgrounds.