Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff hails 'strong' Lewis Hamilton after 'incomprehensible' comments from Nelson Piquet
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Updated 01/07/2022 at 16:13 GMT
Lewis Hamilton has endured another week in Formula One as he deals with racist comments, this time from former Formula One driver Nelson Piquet. Support has been forthcoming from around the paddock, and that includes Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, who called comments about the driver "incomprehensible."
Mercedes boss Wolff says F1 has 'obligation and responsibility' to stand against racism
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has praised Lewis Hamilton as "strong" amid a continuing controversy caused by Nelson Piquet’s racist comments.
Piquet has been largely shunned by Formula One since his racist comments.
Speaking from the paddock, drivers, including Max Verstappen, said the words were unacceptable.
"You need to be taught that these type of things cannot be said - or used in general," said Verstappen. "And that's what we are working on, F1 - and of course, Lewis, they are working on that for the future and all the drivers are behind that. We are all supporting that."
Speaking to the BBC, Hamilton received the backing from Mercedes team principal Wolff.
"It's absolutely incomprehensible some of the comments that have been made," said Wolff. "These comments from the sidelines are disappointing.
"But he is strong; we have seen in the past, in the face of that adversity, things that have been thrown at him, the stronger he has got. And that's what I have realised this week, again."
Hamilton said: "Discrimination is not something we should be giving a platform.
"We need people to be bringing people together. We are all the same and the comments we are seeing are not helpful."
Hamilton is a seven-time champion, holding a record shared with Michael Schumacher and is seen as one of the greatest drivers of all time.
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