Former F1 driver who racially abused Lewis Hamilton now under police investigation in Brazil

Former F1 world champion Nelson Piquet, who was recently caught in a controversy for using racial slurs against Lewis Hamilton, is under police investigation in Brazil.

Piquet became notorious for all the wrong reasons during the British GP race weekend this year, as a video of him racially abusing Hamilton landed him in trouble. This time, it does not involve Hamilton or racist slurs.

Piquet is under investigation by Brazilian prosecutors after a video emerged of him wishing death on Brazil's new President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Lula edged out Jair Bolsonaro to win the presidential election by a slender margin last weekend. Piquet wasn't happy with the result and was quick to express his discontent.

As Bolsonaro's supporters protested against Lula, setting up roadblocks across the country, Piquet was seen in one of the public demonstrations. There, he was filmed by a fan wishing death for the new President.

Nelson Piquet was heard telling a fan:

"We're going to get Lula, son of a b****, out of here. That's it! Brazil above everything, God above everything. It is Lula there in the cemetery, son of a b****."

The three-time F1 champion is now being questioned by the federal prosecutor's office of Brasilia, which has accused him of inciting violence. Both Piquet and the fan will be called to testify to the federal police.

The federal prosecutor's office released a statement addressing the incident where it said that a person with Piquet’s popularity should be aware of public comments. The statement said:

"Nelson Piquet is a person of public notoriety and, because of that, he should know his statements have the potential of reaching hundreds of thousands of people."

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Piquet apologised to Lewis Hamilton

Nelson Piquet issued an apology to Lewis Hamilton after the video of his racist slurs towards the Mercedes driver had come to light.

Apologising to Hamilton, Piquet said:

"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 in Brazilian Portuguese for 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."

He added:

"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."

It will be interesting to see how Piquet finds his way out of his current mess.