British Flyers Club suspends Pique’s honorary membership

BRDC announced on Thursday that it has suspended the honorary membership of three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet and plans to rescind it after Pique used racially abusive language to refer to Lewis Hamilton.

BRDC, which owns Silverstone which hosts the UK Formula One Grand Prix, noted in a statement that Pique had apologized to the seven-time world champion but said he had a zero-tolerance policy towards racism.

“The BRDC Board of Directors has concluded that Mr. Beckett Sr.’s use of racially offensive language to describe another BRDC member (and seven-time world champion) is unacceptable and represents grossly inappropriate behavior of an honorary member of BRDC, despite his subsequent apologies,” he said.

“Accordingly, we inform Mr. Pique Sr. that his membership has been suspended immediately.”

The club added: “Following the club’s due process, the Board of Directors is expected to terminate the membership of Mr. Beckett Sr. at the Board of Directors meeting to be held after the required 7-day notice period.”

Formula 1 sources say that Pique is also no longer welcome inside the track during the Grand Prix, although he is not usually present frequently.

Pique, 69, has finished second four times at the UK Grand Prix while driving for Formula 1, finishing second twice at Silverstone and twice at Brands Hatch.

Hamilton has won a record eight times at Silverstone.