EXCLUSIVE: Q+A Nelson Piquet Jr.

By Principessa on 10 Aug 2006, 11:16

Nelson Piquet Jr., son of former F1 World Champion Nelson Piquet, already has an amazing career in motorsport at the age of 21. Nelson is at the moment active in the GP2 series. Here follows an exclusive interview with Nelson Piquet Jr.

For the people who would not know you, can you give a brief introduction of yourself?

"Okay, my name is Nelson and I’m 21 years old. I’m competing in the GP2 Series, which is the feeder series for Formula One. I’m second in the championship and this is my second year. Before that I won the British F3 championship in 2004 and the South American F3 championship in 2002. I did karting before that from when I was eight years old."

You were born in Heidelberg, not far from Hockenheim, but you have the Brazilian nationality. Do you feel German or Brazilian?

"I am absolutely Brazilian. My mother is Dutch and my father is Brazilian and I was born in Germany but Brazil is in my heart. I lived there from when I was eight until 17, so it’s a long time."

At the age of 21 you already have an amazing career in motorsport but because of your family name, people expect much more to come. How do you cope with that?

"We put pressure on ourselves enough already. My father had a great career and my dream is to arrive in F1 but I need to concentrate on what I am doing here at the moment. It’s a hard job and I think at least five drivers doing GP2 this year will be in F1. It’s a big pressure but I have got here and I’ve already won two F3 championships. I am capable, everything just needs to come together."

How is your father inflicted in your career?

"Of course he has been a big help and influence on me but the last few years he has not really been that involved, he could see I was working well with the team so didn’t need to be so involved. He helped us build the team and he helps us with big decisions. He doesn’t come to many races though and he doesn’t get involved on the technical side."

You have raced in several karting series and the British F3 championship. What are your fondest memories of that time?

"I have had many nice moments in my career. Every time I win a race is great. There are a lot of things I have done that I am really proud of and made me happy."

Last season was your first season in the GP2, the ultimate feeder category for F1. During your second season in the GP2, things are going better and better. What are your hopes for the rest of the season as you're 2nd in the championship?

"The title is of course our absolute goal. We started well and then Lewis was very strong and overtook us in the championship but after the last races in Hungary the race is really back on. There are only 11 points difference now and four races to go so I’m still very much aiming for the title. "

One of the peaks of last season was your win at Spa-Francorchamps. Do you hope that the Belgian circuit will be back on the F1 calendar next season?

"Spa is a fantastic circuit and one I have always enjoyed so I definitely hope it’s back on the calendar next year."

And this year in GP2, there is a lot of talk about Lewis Hamilton and his chances for F1. How highly do you rate him?

"Lewis is a very good driver, I’m sure he’s going to get to F1 soon and do well. He has been very strong this year."

Previously, you already tested with 2 F1 teams, Williams F1 and the former BAR Honda. What are the main differences of an F1 car and GP2?

"It’s twice as quick and double the power, it’s very different. It’s much quicker and more aggressive than the GP2 car."

Was there any significant different between the two F1 cars you tested?

"I tested them a couple of years apart so there were for sure some developments in that time."

During your test for Williams at Jerez in December 2003, you were faster than Nico Rosberg. Obviously, Rosberg is already in F1 and, for now, you're not. How does that make you feel?

"Nico is good, no doubt about it. My time will come, it’s not something that I think about. I will do things when the time is right for me."

Can you tell us something more about the race team that you have set up?

"We started it when I wanted to compete in South American F3. I wanted a real shot at the title but we were not sure if there was a team strong enough to do that so we decided that we would set up our own team. We won the title and then it was the same situation. I wanted to do British F3, but was not sure how to do it the best to win the title. So we moved Piquet Sports to England and won the title in the second year. Then with GP2 we had two drivers who both wanted to go to a team that would invest our money in the car and take care of everything."

Finally, is Formula One your ultimate goal or do you have other plans?

"The plan is to win the GP2 championship. Then the plan is to go to F1. My goals haven’t changed in the last couple of years and my ultimate goal is to be a successful F1 driver."

Nelson Piquet Jr. Biography

Date of Birth: 25 July 1985
Lives: Oxford, UK
Nationality: Brazilian
Place of Birth: Heidelberg, Germany

At the age of just 19, Nelson Piquet Jr has already enjoyed a successful 11 year career in motorsport, beginning in Brazilian karting categories at the age of eight. He won three karting series before entering the South American Formula 3 Championship in 2001. He participated in just half of the first season, before launching a full assault in 2002 and winning the title with four races to go.

Still aged just 17, he moved alone to the UK from Brazil at the beginning of 2003, after setting up his own team to enter the British F3 Championship, and finished third in his first year. In 2004 a delighted Nelson won the British F3 title at Brands Hatch after an extremely competitive season in which he notched up five pole positions, six race wins, seven further podiums and 11 fastest laps.

By clinching the 2004 championship, Nelson became the youngest ever winner of the highly respected series at the age of 19 years and two months, and also became one half of the only father and son pairing to have both won the series. Nelson?s father is Nelson Piquet, three-times Formula One World Champion (1981, 1983 and 1987), and 1978 British F3 Champion.

Nelson is widely respected for his smooth, intelligent driving skills in variable track and weather conditions, and his relentless dedication in pursuit of his ultimate ambition to compete in the Formula One World Championship. His hard work and obvious talent has already been rewarded by the F1 contingent, with the BMW Williams F1 team giving him two separate testing opportunities in 2003 and early 2004, and the Lucky Strike B·A·R Honda F1 team, for whom he tested in February 2005.

In 2005 Nelson competed in the newly formed GP2 Series. The races for this championship were support races at the European Formula One weekends, with the series? own stand alone finale in Bahrain. The series was designed as the ultimate feeder category for F1. Nelson had a season of mixed fortunes as the series suffered from teething problems with the car. He suffered mechanical breakdowns in 50% of the feature races, affecting his prospects for the second race of each weekend. He did, however, score one race win in treacherous conditions at the Spa circuit in Belgium, and achieved four further podiums.

For the 2005/06 winter period, Nelson chose to compete in the brand new A1 GP Series for Team Brasil. A1 Grand Prix was designed by its founder, Sheikh Maktoum, as the World Cup of Motorsport, and it takes the form of a single-make series in which drivers compete to win the championship for their country. The championship began at Brands Hatch in the UK. Nelson put in an outstanding performance during the opening weekend of Brands Hatch, achieving a perfect quad of accolades, with pole position, fastest lap and two stunning race wins. He continued the season well, scoring three further podiums before handing over driving duties in February 2006, to enable him to prepare for the 2006 GP2 Series campaign.

Nelson will continue with his Piquet Sports team to compete in the GP2 Series for the second year in 2006, with the ambition of winning the championship.
2006 Race driver for Piquet Sports in GP2 Series
One race for Team Brasil in A1GP Series

2005 Race driver for Team Brazil in inaugural
A1GP Series (Two wins, three podiums)
Race driver for Piquet Sports in inaugural
GP2 Series (One win, four podiums)
Test with Lucky Strike B·A·R Honda Formula One Team

2004 British F3 Championship - Winner (Six wins, seven podiums, five pole positions)
Youngest driver to win British F3 Championship at 19 years and two months
Test with BMW Williams Formula One Team

2003 Forms Piquet Sports team
British F3 Championship - 3rd (Six wins, five further podiums, eight pole positions)
Winner of Autosport Best National Driver Award
Test with BMW Williams Formula One Team

2002 South American F3 Championship - Winner (with four races to go)

2001
South American F3 Championship half season - 5th

1995-2000
Competes through the ranks of Brazilian Karting Championships

1993
Begins in Go-Karts - Cadet