The Formula 1 world has been rocked with controversy over one former F1 world champion calling out another. Mercedes frontman Lewis Hamilton has condemned racing icon Nelson Piquet over a racial slur that he used in an interview from over a year ago.

The F1 star took to Twitter to blast Piquet and the “archaic mindsets” that are allegedly still prevalent in various sports around the world. Hamilton also called for action to be taken after the news.

But Nelson Piquet offered his side of the story. The three-time F1 world champion apologized for the comment, but also clarified that the context may have been lost in translation as the word is said to have a different connotation in his native language of Portuguese.

Via ESPN:

“What I said was ill thought out, and I make no defence for it, but I will clarify that the term used is one that has widely and historically been used in Brazilian Portuguese for a synonym for ‘guy' or ‘person' and was never intended to offend. I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations.”

“I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour. I apologise wholeheartedly to anyone that was affected, including Lewis, who is an incredible driver, but the translation in some media that is now circulating on social media is not correct. Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts in that respect.”

No word yet on any response from Lewis Hamilton on the matter, but his F1 predecessor has made it clear that he had no intentions of propagating any derogatory terms.