A Brazilian judge on Monday ordered an investigation be opened into allegations that retired Formula One driver Nelson Piquet used racist and homophobic slurs about Lewis Hamilton.
The 69-year-old Piquet made the comments in interviews filmed in November, which only came to wider attention late in June. The charges were brought by four human rights groups, which want three-time world champion Piquet to pay 10 million Brazilian reals ($1.86 million) for allegedly causing moral damage to Black and LGBTQ people.
Piquet, who did not reply to a request for comment from The Associated Press, will have 15 days to state his case to judge Felipe Costa da Fonseca Gomes of the Distrito Federal court.
