A perfect first test - Nelsinho
The 2006 GP2 Series vice-champion, Nelson Piquet Jr., got his first taste of Renault’s F1 car last week in Silverstone, ahead of his role as test driver in 2007. Here, he talks about his three days behind the wheel…
"From my point of view, it couldn’t have been better. All three days went very well, very smoothly. The team was patient with me, gave me time to learn the car, and our working relationship started very well. I expected the physical side to be very tough, and I was a bit apprehensive, but my fitness was actually pretty good."
How did it feel on the first morning? Was it a case of excitement or trepidation?"It felt normal for me to be honest. I just wanted to get in the car, to get the first feeling with the R26. After that, I just started making steady progress, improving with every run. Quite soon, I felt pretty good in the car and started to push a little bit more."
You have spent the entire season driving GP2 cars. How big was the step up to F1?"There are some similar things like the carbon brakes and gearbox, but it is still another world. The biggest thing you have to learn is to have confidence in the car through the corners. At the start, you cannot quite believe how quick the car can be… and you have to build up to it each lap. In fact, I was really happy when I found out I would be testing at Silverstone because I enjoy the circuit, and knew it would be a good challenge."
What was the atmosphere like in the team?"Excellent, it already feels like a great team. They worked really hard for me and helped me a lot during the week. When I had problems, people would listen and help to sort things out. I only tested for three days, but I already felt like a real part of the team by the end of the test."
Your father was at Silverstone watching your progress. Did he give you any advice?"No, he just let me get on with it. But of course, he was following things closely from his side!"
You topped the times on two days… What is the next step for you in the F1 car?"I need to improve in every area with the car and the team. It was nice to be quick, but it doesn’t really mean anything yet. I need to develop my driving, do a lot more laps, learn about how you develop a car, and get the consistency I want in my driving. I am only at the beginning of my learning curve…"
Source Renaultf1
