Piquet used the slur when giving his opinion on the seven-time world champion's clash with title rival Max Verstappen during the 2021 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Reaction to the comments was swift and strong as prominent F1 names and organisations responded in horror, while the hashtag #WeStandWithLewisHamilton was soon trending on Twitter.
F1 reacts
I worked with Lewis Hamilton very closely for 5 years when he & I were at McLaren. He’s an absolutely brilliant #F1 driver & a truly great man. He does a huge amount for diversity & inclusivity. By contrast Nelson Piquet Sr disgusts me. #WeRaceAsOne. That’s it. That’s the tweet. pic.twitter.com/SZOnbp0Y2J
Huge respect to LH. He has done more for the sport than any driver in history, not just on track but off it. The fact that he and so many others are STILL having to deal with this behaviour is unacceptable. We all need to stand together against discrimination of any kind. https://t.co/E4c1jFQKtf
The FIA strongly condemns any racist or discriminatory language and behaviour, which have no place in sport or wider society. We express our solidarity with @LewisHamilton and fully support his commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in motor sport.
Condemnation needs to be swift and absolute. There is no reason or excuse. It’s not a language thing. There is only one translation and understanding of that word. I’ve seen the clip and won’t repost it. Abhorrent. https://t.co/6QUpl9SyI8