Nelson Piquet Jr.'s CV
Sons of famous fathers are supposed to struggle to make their mark, but Nelson Piquet Jr. has emphatically disproved that truism in his motor racing career. The youngest-ever winner of the prestigious British Formula 3 championship, the Brazilian’s strong performances in the GP2 Series have caught the eye of the Renault F1 Team, and marked Piquet out as a star of the future. He will be one of the Renault F1 Team’s two contracted test drivers for the 2007 season.
Date of Birth: 25/07/1985 Lives: Oxford, UK Place of Birth: Heidelberg, Germany Nationality: Brazilian
1993 – 2000: Karting
Son of three-time World Champion Nelson Piquet, Nelson Jr. began karting at the age of eight in his native Brazil. He spent eight seasons learning his craft in the Brazilian karting series, and won three championships before graduating to cars in 2001.
2001 – 2002: South American Formula 3
Nelsinho’s first half-season in cars came in 2001, when he entered that year’s South American F3 Series. Although he only completed half the races, he finished 5th in the championship, confirming a potential that flourished the following year when he won the championship with four rounds remaining. Having proved himself in South America, he headed to Europe – following in the footsteps of drivers such as his father, and Ayrton Senna.
2003 – 2004: British Formula 3
Aged 17, Piquet took the unusual step of establishing his own team to enter the British F3 championship. His first year saw him finish third, take six wins and eight pole positions as he collected national recognition and earned a Formula 1 test with Williams. His second season proved even stronger, as he became the youngest ever driver to win the British F3 title, taking six race wins and five poles on the way to the title. His exploits earned him a further test with Williams.
2005: GP2 Series and A1GP Series
The 2005 season saw Nelsinho earn further recognition from the F1 community before he even began racing: a test with Honda F1 in February. After that, it was down to work in the newly-formed GP2 Series, designed as a legitimate feeder category to Formula 1. Although mechanical problems dogged his opening season, he took a race win in treacherous conditions at Spa and four podium finishes. At season’s end, he once again turned to pastures new for the 2005/6 winter in the brand-new A1GP Series. Racing for Team Brazil, Nelsinho dominated the series’ opening weekend with two races wins, pole position and fastest lap. He scored three further podiums until handing over driving duties in February 2006 to prepare for the GP2 Series championship.
2006: GP2 Series
Competing for Piquet Sports in the second GP2 Series championship, Nelsinho has been one of two drivers to stand out from the crowd in the hotly-contested championship. With two races remaining in the championship, the Brazilian has won four races in total and score five pole positions. His dynamic performances once again caught the eye of the F1 community, and earned him the opportunity to sign as 2007 test driver for the Renault F1 Team. Nelson currently lies second in the GP2 Series championship, which is set for a thrilling conclusion in Monza.
2007: Formula 1, Renault F1 Team Test Driver
“I am so happy to have signed as a test driver for the Renault F1 Team. I have worked my whole life to get to this level and it feels like it is the start of the next chapter of my career. I am very much looking forward to working with the team and the other drivers. I know Heikki from GP2, Ricardo is a friend and both he and Giancarlo are very experienced, so I will be able to learn a lot from them. I will be putting all my efforts into working hard, learning everything I can and doing a good job for Renault so that I can help the team as much as possible.”
