little nelson.....

**gomick** · 7 Aug 2001, 03:42 (Ref:126927)

BRASILIA: 16-year-old rookie driver is the newest sensation of Brazilian motor racing and he hasn't even won yet.
All eyes were on Nelson Angelo Piquet, the son of former Formula One champion Nelson Piquet, as he finished second in his debut race for the South American Formula 3 championship on Sunday.

Piquet, who won the Formula One championship in 1981, 1983 and 1987, wept as his son crossed the finish line at the Nelson Piquet track in the capital.

"I was really scared at the start, but everything worked out all right," said the younger Piquet, who is known here as Nelsinho, or "Little Nelson" in Portuguese.

Piquet founded his own racing team to give his son a start in the category, a stepping stone to Formula One.

After leaving Formula One, Piquet retired after a serious crash while training for the Indy 500.

Nelsinho Piquet is the latest in a seemingly endless stream of Brazilian racing talent. The country has eight drivers in the CART championship, four in Formula One and five in the Formula 3000 category.

my first memory of f1 is of nelson piquet at the 86 australian gp in adelaide spinning of the track - nelson's recovery got me interested in motorsport.....it was the same race as nigel mansells tyre exploding - bring on piquet jnr

Liz · 7 Aug 2001, 11:16 (Ref:127064)

I'm excited about the idea of another Nelson Piquet coming into Formula One. If nothing else he will bring life and colour back to the sport!

Now is there a Little Nige somewhere?

**Bononi** · 7 Aug 2001, 13:47 (Ref:127140)

At least he seems to have the same sense of humour, no support for dumb questions... and a better voice then his old man.

Liz · 7 Aug 2001, 17:27 (Ref:127210)

He's cute too - but so's Nelson Sr.

There's a nice photo in today's paper.

LucaBadoer · 7 Aug 2001, 19:01 (Ref:127241)

The problem with motorsport is that you have to be quite wealthy to get started. I mean, look at all the Brazilian's that have entered F1 - nearly all of them have come from rich families. I'm not trying to say that they are not good racers, but it's the financial backing that gets them going. Many seem to forget it when they are criticizing the pay drivers, but Michael Schumacher had to pay Eddie Jordan to make his debut.

I'm guessing that Piquet Jnr had the best car at the weekend? - With being rich and all... but having a good car doesn't mean you'll be one of the greats.

CAREER ROUTES OF THE RICH DRIVER
If this guy is an average racer, I can envisage him having a similar career to Damon Hill; Being a poor racer could turn him into the next Pedro Diniz; And if he turns out to be as great as people reckon he is, we may have the next Senna on our hands.....

Roy2 · 7 Aug 2001, 19:18 (Ref:127247)

It would be exciting to see a young Nelson Piquet, a Little Nige, or even a young Nicholas Prost in Formula One.

But the danger for the young men, is that 'they might not be the driver their father was', and that in the event it will prove to be not enough that they bring life and colour into F1.

The venerable Liz, up to at least 300,000 posts by then, might pronounce that Little Nige or young Nicky, with only a couple of world championships between them, don't really measure up to their illustrious fathers, and should retire.

Young Nelson should be okay, being Brazilian and cute.

Liz · 7 Aug 2001, 19:36 (Ref:127253)

Well, no, not in Champ Cars they aren't (wealthy boys, I mean.) In fact, the only wealthy playboy bankrolled by his father in Champ Cars is: Michael Andretti!

It is just as specious to say that Rich Boys Can't Drive, as it is to say that no one whose father was a WDC is going to be any good at his craft.

**Bononi** · 7 Aug 2001, 19:39 (Ref:127255)

Quote:

Originally posted by LucaBadoer
The problem with motorsport is that you have to be quite wealthy to get started. I mean, look at all the Brazilian's that have entered F1 - nearly all of them have come from rich families. I'm not trying to say that they are not good racers, but it's the financial backing that gets them going. Many seem to forget it when they are criticizing the pay drivers, but Michael Schumacher had to pay Eddie Jordan to make his debut.

To be born in Brazil that's fundamental. But most racers are from the average class families. What they need is a good start (usually from the family) and soon the sponsors appears.

Quote:

Originally posted by LucaBadoer
I'm guessing that Piquet Jnr had the best car at the weekend? - With being rich and all...

No he didn't. The guy who won the race (and all races before) has the best team and the best car. Piquet sports (the team) just made his break into S.A. F3.

Quote:

Originally posted by LucaBadoer
but having a good car doesn't mean you'll be one of the greats.

Yes. But he was champion in the 3 last kart championships... and he's only 16.

Quote:

Originally posted by LucaBadoer
CAREER ROUTES OF THE RICH DRIVER
If this guy is an average racer, I can envisage him having a similar career to Damon Hill; Being a poor racer could turn him into the next Pedro Diniz; And if he turns out to be as great as people reckon he is, we may have the next Senna on our hands..... [/B]

His father said "anything can happen, all I can do is helping him and pass him all my knowledge, the rest is up to him"... his older brother Geraldo, had raced and failed, now he's in the management.

Alan Jones · 7 Aug 2001, 20:43 (Ref:127286)

A little Nigel,god help us! if he whines like his old man it could not be a good thing. this does lead to the next question though, has Keke Rosberg got a son??? Used to love watching Keke bouncing off kerbs and wringing the neck of his cars.

Liz · 7 Aug 2001, 20:52 (Ref:127287)

Well, yes, there is a Little Keke - named Nicco - he's racing go-karts now and is a champion racer. But whether he looks like his father, I don't know. Probably doesn't smoke like his father!

AL Racing · 8 Aug 2001, 01:57 (Ref:127393)

Maybe I'm sceptical by nature but after hearing he did about 6000km of testing in that car and on that track (more than most F3 driver do during a whole season) , it's no wonder he came second.

Quote:

and a better voice then his old man.

Funny, I read recently the opposite, but I hope you right though!

Mekola · 8 Aug 2001, 02:57 (Ref:127403)

Quote:

Originally posted by Bononi
No he didn't. The guy who won the race (and all races before) has the best team and the best car. Piquet sports (the team) just made his break into S.A. F3.

Piquet sports can be Amir-Nasr run team, a sort like the Team Malaysia for Alex Yoong, run by Team LeMans in the F.Nippon... It's well known Nelson Piquet is linked to team Amir-Nasr, one of the most important SouthAm F3 teams and the team who allow him to race few times in F3 these last years.

Info about South American F3(Spanish and Portuguese):
http://www.f3sudam.8m.com

Liz · 8 Aug 2001, 11:05 (Ref:127493)

I think it's great to see the sons following the fathers into racing if they want to do it. Prost has two sons but I have never heard that either one did any racing.

**Bononi** · 8 Aug 2001, 12:06 (Ref:127518)

Quote:

Originally posted by AL Racing
Maybe I'm sceptical by nature but after hearing he did about 6000km of testing in that car and on that track (more than most F3 driver do during a whole season) , it's no wonder he came second.

Funny, I read recently the opposite, but I hope you right though!

Well, I don't know exactly, because I don't follow the series. I just watched the raced on TV because it was a live transmission, and all that heared was from Piquet who was commenting the race... and he said that his son never raced on that track. :confused:

About his link with the powerful Amir-Nasser Team, is something completely unknown to me...

But as Piquet said, "It was a pretty boring race, except to the fact that my son was on the track...", bad-mouth as usual !

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