Piquet Jr at Williams. 7 yrs contract!

[DieRitter]

Heard from a Brazilian friend at work that Williams is offering a 7 yrs contract to Piquet Jr.

(2 years of testing and 5 years as a driver)

At least it's what Piquet Sr has told the media.

Can any Brazilian here comment on that?

[senna12]

If you only ask for replies from Brazilians, this could be a short thread!

A bit of a surprise. I think Nico outpaced him significantly in a recent F3000 test, but then again, that means next to nothing.

We shall see. News like this would travel fast.

[DieRitter]

Yep... But Nico had 2 more days of testing than Nelson Jr. Let's see what they can do next month during the winter tests.

I actually don't think Nico is that good. Would say that guys like Briscoe, Courtney and Hamilton are a lot better.

[Irv the Swerve]

I've not heard anything about this at all, but I reckon that a five year Williams F1 race deal for a 17 year old F3 driver is a tad optimistic.

[DieRitter]

The source: http://esporte.uol.com.br/f1/ultimas...lt62u4874.jhtm

In Portuguese

[GTRMagic]

Use altavista's wonderful babelfish transation model.

Converted....

"00h22 - 26/11/2003

"Piquet father" affirms that the Williams wants to sign with "Piquet son"

Of the Writing
In São Paulo

The world-wide tricampeão of Formula 1 Nelson Piquet affirmed in this tuesday to the night, in an event in São Paulo, that its son Nelsinho Piquet was invited to sign contract with would escuderia Williams, one of most traditional of the F-1.

"the Williams wants (a contract) up to 2010, with two years as pilot of tests, later five years of race", affirmed Piquet to the TV Globe.

After if consecrating champion of the South American F-3 in the passed year, Nelsinho third was placed this year in the English F-3. Frank Williams, head of the team Williams, has folloied of close the career Brazilian it.

Nelsinho, also, must make the first tests in would escuderia English in September, in the circuit of Jerez of la Frontera, in Spain. During this season, Nelsinho was folloied of the father in treinos of the F-1.

Piquet has a narrow relationship with the BMW, that team for which supplies to engines the Williams -, also, the tricampeão conquered its third heading, in 1987.

It comments this notice in the Groups of Quarrel UOL

[Irv the Swerve]

so basically they want to put tabs on him long term so that no one else can bag him. Smart by Williams, not smart by Piquet, as it limits his movements drastically and for too long a time.

[DieRitter]

That doesn't say (at least I can't see that on the translation) if Piquet Jr has or not accepted Frank's offer.

I will try to find that out with my Brazilian mate tomorrow... just a little hard because we work in different floors.

[Bononi]

Well, I saw on TV yesterday. Piquet really said that.

[Bononi]

Here is one :
Williams wants Nelsinho up to 2010

"The proposal is made and just a "yes" is needed for the marriage between Nelsinho and Williams becomes true. The revelation was made in São Paulo, by Nelson Piquet, father, tuesday evening (25), during the "Golden Helmet", annual award offered by "Racing" magazine.
Second to the 3 WDC, Williams made a proposal for 7 seasons. "The 2 first years as test driver and the next 5 as racer driver", said Piquet to Globo TV.
This weekend, Nelsinho's RP issued a press release stating that the driver will race one more season in british F3. This year, his rookie year, he finished third in the championship."

There is another one in the same site, but it's just speculation, so I won't post here.

[DieRitter]

Williams & Piquet Jr
McLaren & Hamilton
Toyota & Briscoe
Ferrari & Massa
Renault & RDP drivers

Not a new thing... but seems that this kind of association between a top team and a young driver is getting more and more professional.

[piquetfan]

Spot on, DieRitter.

Don't forget Renault/ALONSO.

It does not mean that Williams wants Nelsinho as a replacement for Montoya for example - they simply want a long term deal - the same they had with Pizzonia, who will never become a Williams driver. Massa may never become a Ferrari driver.

So, as you said, the young drivers are signing contracts BEFORE they actually become F1 drivers, and the question is then which team. I think if I had to choose one, I would go for BMW-Williams.

Don't forget that Piquet gave both Honda and BMW their first driver's titles - and so far Piquet has been the only BMW champion. It is a natural choice.

But I agree that Nico and others also deserve the same opportunity, and if Nico does a good test for Williams again, I don't have any doubt Williams will sign both drivers -or maybe only Nico.

[Neil C]

It appears to me that the F1 teams are buying "futures" on young drivers. In other words, they are making contracts now 1)before their price goes up in the event they meet with success and 2) to get them off the market before other teams can sign them.

If the youngsters don't work out, they just find a way to void or sell their contracts. I bet the contracts have plenty of "out clauses", especially for the F1 team.

[climb]

Nico nexty year will still be racing the Euroseries: I approve his choice not to run too fast, and consolidate.
Having a famous daddy will let him be remembered as well, next year...

[Super Tourer]

It's good to see F1 teams seriously looking down the ladder at developing future talent.

For too many years F1 has waited for drivers to struggle up the ladder before even granting 1 test session. Teams realise they need to develop their own future drivers. If they are under contract they can become a valuable financial asset as well.

[piquetfan]

I found a link in English

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackage...0&section=news

two other points:

1) Piquet also won a championship with Michelin in 1983

2) PETROBRAS may be obviously interested in having a Brazilian driver at Williams

[ralf fan]

great news IF true for NELSINHO.... great to see teams getting drivers for the future and grooming them... I think Williams have also sponsered ASMER... is he any good?

[piquetfan]

Asmer did a test a few months ago and was about 3-4 seconds slower than everybody else. Williams said he was "a competent driver" who gave the team "precise information about the car".

I thought to myself: calling him "competent" is a polite way of saying "he's not fast"

...but then Williams hired him as a test driver!

That's why I think there is no big deal about Williams signing Nelsinho or Nico, or Ferrari signing Massa. It does not mean that they will be one day driving for the teams in the championship.

[goforit500]

This is obviously the same translation engine that the FIA uses.......

The world-wide tricampeão of Formula 1 Nelson Piquet affirmed in this tuesday to the night, in an event in São Paulo, that its son Nelsinho Piquet was invited to sign contract with would escuderia Williams, one of most traditional of the F-1.

"the Williams wants (a contract) up to 2010, with two years as pilot of tests, later five years of race", affirmed Piquet to the TV Globe.

After if consecrating champion of the South American F-3 in the passed year, Nelsinho third was placed this year in the English F-3. Frank Williams, head of the team Williams, has folloied of close the career Brazilian it.

Nelsinho, also, must make the first tests in would escuderia English in September, in the circuit of Jerez of la Frontera, in Spain. During this season, Nelsinho was folloied of the father in treinos of the F-1.

Piquet has a narrow relationship with the BMW, that team for which supplies to engines the Williams -, also, the tricampeão conquered its third heading, in 1987.

____________________________________________________________

[piquetfan]

That's even better - Williams spokesman DENIES Piquet's claim.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/3240882.stm

Again, there's no big deal. No way Piquet would lie (simply because that would be ridiculous and bad for Nelsinho). He simply is in a position to speculate and talk about possibilities they've discussed, whereas Williams has to stick to reality - and the reality is that the first contract Nelsinho will sign, the one they're negotiating now with Nico too - is for one testing session only.

In other words, they've probably agreed that IF Nelsinho does a good test, THEN he signs a long term contract (similar to Alonso's until last year or Massa's).





http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/3240882.stm

[beau]

Yeah just read about this on ceefax.
It will be great to have a son of a f1 driver back racing again.

[f1manoz]

Are they after him simply because of his surname???

[DieRitter]

I also don't think Piquet Sr would lie about it. Probably we wanted to hear more than what he actually wanted to say. The 7 yrs story is probably a result of some conversations he's been having with Frank Williams... Not necessarily what's gonna be on the contract.

[DieRitter]

Originally posted by f1manoz
Are they after him simply because of his surname???

I wouldn't say so. Piquet Jr is just 18 and got quite impressive results for his rookie year in the British F3.

He has plenty of speed, but still needs to work on it like we saw in Macau and Korea.

I think that Hamilton is as good as him or better than him. In my opinion they are the 2 drivers to watch in the future.

I quite like Briscoe and Courtney and the way they performed in Asia... But we have to remember that they had been there before.

Courtney would need to go to Euroseries or somewhere else to prove himself. He was in the British and did well to finish runner up in his second year... but was not as brilliant as Piquet Jr in his rookie year.

[piquetfan]

I'm happy to see that Briscoe and especially Klien have been doing F1 tests too. It means that it is not only the guys with an F1 surname who have the opportunity.

By the way, Klien was less than 0.2 sec slower than Webber yesterday; today he was about 0.8sec slower.

And by the way II, Nelsinho AND Nico are testing next week at Jerez.

2 DEC: Nelsinho
3 DEC: Nico
4 DEC, morning: Nelsinho
4 DEC, afternoon: Nico

It's going to be a very cool head-to-head.