Ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, audio from an interview conducted in November with Nelson Piquet surfaced in which the three-time F1 world champion made a racially abusive remark about Hamilton. ℱ;

In the past week, Hamilton has faced calls to resign from Jackie Stewart and ex-F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who also claimed Hamilton “should be happy” with♉ Piquet’s subsequent apology during an i﷽nterview with Good Morning Britain on Thursday.

F1 and several drivers have supported Hamilton and condemned the comments made by Piquet, who is understood to have been banned from the F1 paddock. 🍌On Thursday, the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) announced they have suspended Piquet's honorary membership with immediate effect. 

"I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported me within the spor♏t, particularly the drivers,” said the seven-time world champion when addressing the abuse he fa🔯ced during Thursday’s press conferences at Silverstone. 

"It has been two years since we first took a knee in Austria. We are still faced by challenges. I've been on the receiving end of racism and criticism and negativity i🌺n 💟archaic narratives for a long, long time.

"So there's nothing really particularly new for me. I thinkꦍ it's more about the bi💧gger picture.

"Why do we give these older voices a platform?

"It is not r༺epresentative of our sport and where we are. We are looking to grow - in the 💜US and in South Africa.

"W🐓e are looking to the future to give youn💧ger people a platform who are more representative.

"This isn't about one indivi🔯dual or one use of ♚that term.”

Hamilton again underlined that action, rather than s🥀tatements,💯 are required to tackle the issue. 

“There is a knee-jerk reaction from companies around the world,” he said. “They probably all already have a script ready for that crisis management. It is not enough. Is now about actionꦓ.

“People who are not relevant in the sport for years are trying to bring me down b𓆏ut I am still here.

"Whe🔜ther it is conscious or subconscious that they don't believe people like me should be in motorsport. We need, more than ever, we need people to come ▨together.

"It is not helpful - these comments from Piquet.

"They are n🍒ot really in the sport. They haven't been relevant for decades. But I'm still here, standing strong, push⛎ing for diversity.” 

Asked if h༺e still respects F1’s♊ older generation, Hamilton replied: “I have always tried to take the higher road and be respectful.

"It tie🧜s back to - why do we give them a platform?

"They are not with the times. They are not willing t💛o change.

“Micro-aggr๊ession in today's world is not healthy.”

Hamilton ‘will race’ regardless of jewellery stance 

Hamilton was adamant he will contest his home grand prix despite uncertainty about the⭕ FIA’s stance over drivers wearing jewellery in their cars. 

The exemption ✃to allow for more time for the drivers to discuss the matter with the𝄹 FIA and F1’s medical team expired ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, but no update has been provided on the matter. 

Rac𒅌e director Niels Wittich did not include any note regarding jewellery in the first version of his pre-race Event Notes, which were issued on Thursday. ꧟;

"With all due respect, it is crazy to think that with everything going on in the world, this is the fo🧔ꦰcus,” Hamilton said when asked about the jewellery row. 

"We have bigger fish to💛 fry. We really have to start focusing on more importa🎃nt areas.

"I will race thi🎉s weekend. I will work with the FIA. The matter is not massive."