Nelson Piquet Sr has been asked to pay 500,000 Brazilian Reals in compensation for the racist comments made on Lewis Hamilton.
An old interview of Piquet Sr surfaced last year on the internet where the Brazilian was found to be using racist slurs against F1 champion Hamilton. It took the paddock by storm as calls were made for the former champion to be banned from being at the paddock.
In the meantime, Brazil’s National LGBT+ Alliance filed a case against Piquet Sr for moral damages of up to 10 million Brazilian Reals. The case was registered in the court with the hearing on for few months where the judge held it against the former F1 champion.
Despite Piquet Sr’s apology, the judge said the matter was a serious offence especially from a person of stature. While they agreed on the offence, the damages was cut down to 5 million Brazilian Reals which is about 953,000 American Dollars.
“This offense is intolerable. Even more so when one considers the projection that is given when it is a person as recognized and admired as the defendant. Thus, I believe that the collective moral damage is characterized, because there was a serious offense to the fundamental values of society,” the judgement from Judge Pedro Matos de Arruda.
Representing the Brazil’s National LGBT+ Alliance, lawyer Amanda Souto Baliza was happy with the judgement. “It is an important decision because Intolerance should not prosper, people need to understand that discrimination does not fit in our society and that we will continue to seek the accountability of those who have this unfortunate and reprehensible conduct,” she said.
Another lawyer Marlon Reis, who was representing the Santo Dias Human Rights Center of the Archdiocese of SP and Francisco de Assis, concurred with her colleague. “Nelson Piquet did not just confront Lewis Hamilton, but the conscience of all the Brazilian people who live in permanent struggle to affirm equality and non-discrimination as basic rules of coexistence.
“He should use his visibility as a great champion to promote positive values, not encourage contempt and hatred. This is an unprecedented action in which it was demonstrated that racism practiced against a person does not only reflect damage of an individual nature, but an attack on the conscience of the entire community, which is aggravated by the public image of the condemned person.”
Here’s the full court order: https://congressoemfoco.uol.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/0724479-75.2022.8.07.0001-1679694342488-1467688-processo-n-0724479-75.2022.8.07.0001-1.pdf
Here’s aftermath of apology and what F1 drivers felt then
Here’s the statement from Nelson Piquet Sr
Here’s what everyone said when his interview came to light
