Naomi Osaka joins Lewis Hamilton's call to take action against Nelson Piquet after his racist remarks against the 7-time World Champion
Naomi Osaka joined millions of Formula 1 fans in siding with Lewis Hamilton in his call to make an example out of Nelson Piquet after the Brazilian's recent racist remarks directed against him.
Piquet allegedly used the N-word when referring to the seven-time Grand Slam champion when speaking on a podcast, prompting sound criticism from fans and athletes alike.
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body for motorsports, also responded in like, saying that such language does not have any place in the sport and that it will stand by Hamilton.
Former F1 World Champion Nelson Piquet called Lewis Hamilton the N-word in an interview.
Nothing needs to be said about Lewis—he's a 7x World Champion & an incredible ambassador for the sport.
But the response should be simple: Ban Nelson Piquet from all F1 races & events.
The Brith driver, however, did not think it was enough, taking to Twitter today to call for strict action against the three-time defending champion instead of just lip service. The 37-year-old was of the opinion that saying that people need to learn to be better is no longer a good excuse since they have had plenty of time to educate themselves on the topic already.
"It’s more than language. These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport," Hamilton wrote. "I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action."
It’s more than language. These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action.
Osaka also agreed with Hamilton on that point, remarking that having people face the consequences for such behavior should be the only way forward from now on.
"Emphasis on “there has been plenty of time to learn,”" Osaka chimed in.
Emphasis on “there has been plenty of time to learn.” twitter.com/lewishamilton/…
Naomi Osaka recovering from an achilles injury that forced her out of Wimbledon
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka is taking a short break from tennis action as she is currently recovering from an achilles injury. The injury has forced the Japanese to skip the ongoing Wimbledon Championships, marking the second year in a row that she is missing the trip to SW19.
Thankfully, the four-time Grand Slam champion will not suffer rankings-wise, since no player will be receiving any points from the event. But unlike other players, Osaka had nothing to lose at the tournament either, meaning that she will, in fact, climb up the ranking spots despite sitting out the Grass Major.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from Wimbledon with an Achilles injury 📰 https://t.co/gdaZQ4DvVQ
The former World No. 1 is now ranked World No. 40 on the WTA Tour and will be hoping to gain another 8-10 spots before the US Open so that she can be seeded at Flushing Meadows at the end of August.
Naomi Osaka's lack of seeding at the French Open earlier this year proved to be her downfall, as she was drawn to face off against 27th seed Amanda Anisimova in the very first round. It is a fate she would like to avoid in New York at least.