The racist term that Nelson Piquet used to refer to Lewis Hamilton: controversy in F1.

Scandal in F1. A clip is circulating on social media in which Nelson Piquet, three-time world champion, commented on the incident that Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen had last season in Silverstone. The particularity of the situation is that the Brazilian used a racially charged term - 'neginho' ('little black') - to refer to the British driver.

"What happened in Silverstone? The little black (Hamilton) put the car and left... The little black put the car and left because there was no way two cars could pass through that turn. It was dirty play. He was lucky that only the other driver (Verstappen) got fucked up," said the Rio de Janeiro native to Estadao Esporte.

Piquet, who is also the father of Verstappen's current partner, described the scene in which Hamilton and the current world champion's cars collided on the first lap, with the Red Bull driver's vehicle hitting the wall and subsequently retiring from the race. Lewis emerged as the winner on home soil.

Hamilton speaks out

The seven-time world champion wasted no time in releasing a statement regarding Piquet's regrettable comments. The Mercedes driver went further than what the Brazilian had said, focusing on the mindset, which he described as archaic.

"It's more than a language. These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I've been surrounded by these attitudes my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. The time for action has come," he affirmed on his social networks.

FIA and Mercedes stand with Hamilton

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) and the Mercedes Formula 1 team have voiced their support for the British driver after he suffered another 'racist attack'.

"We strongly condemn any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind. Lewis has been at the forefront of our sport's efforts to combat racism and is a true champion of diversity on and off the track," wrote the team to which Hamilton belongs.

"Together, we share the vision of a diverse and inclusive motorsport, and this incident underscores the fundamental importance of continuing to strive for a better future," concluded the team.

FIA also expressed themselves in the same sense, strongly condemning "any racist or discriminatory language and behavior, which has no place in sports or society in general. We express our solidarity with Lewis Hamilton and fully support his commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in motor sports,".