The racist term was used by the three-time F1 world champion in November of last year, but only came to light recently, when the interview was released Monday.
Hamilton “put the car in and left it there because there was no way for two cars to pass on that corner. He made a dirty move. Lucky for him, only the other one driver [Verstappen] got f**ked,” Piquet said in a Portuguese-language interview with the Motorsports Talk channel.
Hamilton, who has the most race wins in F1 history, said the “time has come for action” on racism.
Piquet’s comments have been widely condemned in the sport.
“His tireless efforts to increase diversity and inclusion are a lesson to many and something we are committed to at F1.”
Hamilton’s Mercedes team also condemned the comments.
“We condemn in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind. Lewis has spearheaded our sport’s efforts to combat racism, and he is a true champion of diversity on and off track,” Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team said in a statement.
“Together, we share a vision for a diverse and inclusive motorsport, and this incident underlines the fundamental importance of continuing to strive for a brighter future.”
Meanwhile, motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, outlined its support to Hamilton’s “commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in motor sport.”
