Lewis Hamilton: BRDC suspends Nelson Piquet over racially abusive language about British driver
- Published
Nelson Piquet will not be allowed back into an F1 paddock following his comments about Lewis Hamilton
The British Racing Drivers' Club has suspended Nelson Piquet's membership following his racist comments about Lewis Hamilton.
The BRDC, which owns Silverstone, said it "noted" the apology from Piquet.
Its statement said that the BRDC board had concluded Piquet's "racially offensive language is unacceptable".
It added: "It is anticipated that the board will terminate Mr Piquet Sr's membership at a board meeting after the required seven-day notice period."
The move follows F1's decision to ban the 69-year-old from the paddock indefinitely as a result of his comments.
Piquet's remarks have received widespread condemnation across the sport.
The retired racing driver, who won the world title in 1981, 1983 and 1987, used a racially offensive term to refer to Hamilton in a podcast.
Hamilton said that "archaic mindsets need to change".
And on Thursday, four-time champion Sebastian Vettel said: "Any form of abuse is wrong, so it was great to see there was so much response from the F1 community and people expressed support towards Lewis.
"There should not be any room for these kinds of comments and we still have to do a lot. We have come a lot further than a few years ago but it doesn't help when there are people using inappropriate language and saying wrong things.
"F1 has a responsibility to address these issues, which we are trying to do. More than language, it is how we behave and include everyone there is, no matter which colour you are, what type of partner you have or your sexual orientation. Any community is welcome."
McLaren driver Lando Norris said: "This isn't something Lewis has had just recently, it is something he has had to deal with for a lot of his career.
"We all know how strong a person he is and how he can get through these times. There is no room for these kinds of comments, especially on such a public stage."
McLaren Racing chief executive officer Zak Brown joined F1, governing body the FIA and a number of drivers in criticising Piquet.
Brown told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It was a horrific comment and I think that's why you saw everyone so quickly comment on just how unacceptable these comments are.
"People say these things around the world and they are unbelievably hurtful, completely unnecessary and unfortunately also social media has given people a platform where we see social media abuse often.
"I wish there was a way we could clean it up. I think all we can do is continue to be good role models for people around the world to see how you do conduct yourselves.
"Unfortunately, there's always going to be people out there that get it wrong."