Nelson Piquet defends his son

Nelsinho Piquet needs support rather than the intense pressure he’s under to be able to express his talent at its true worth. This is what his father, Nelson Piquet, a three-time F1 world champion, claims.

Since the beginning of the season, many rumors have circulated about a possible replacement of Nelsinho within the Renault F1 Team, with Flavio Briatore not hesitating to publicly question his driver’s skills. The Bahrain race was an exception, with Piquet finishing 10th, and the Renault team director highlighted Piquet’s excellent race, noting that he was aggressive and consistent.

Nelson Piquet Senior gives his opinion on the matter: « I told Flavio that he will only get the maximum from Nelsinho if he gives him support. »

« If the engineers complain on the radio and blame his pace, while he lost his first lap in traffic, how can a driver’s confidence develop? » Adds Piquet, who has attended all the races this season with his son.

He suggests that his son’s issues can also be supported in other areas by the French team.

Too often he has to drive in tests with a lot of fuel in the tank. The team knows that his problem is driving with heavy loads on board, so they should let him drive more often in qualifying configuration.

However, he believes that the Bahrain race will have boosted his confidence.

In Barcelona, he will do even better than in Bahrain. Nelsinho now knows he can do it, adds his father.

After scoring a total of 19 points in 2008, Nelsinho Piquet has not yet scored a point this season, with his best result in 2009 being achieved in the Sakhir desert with his first appearance in Q2 and a 10th place finish in the race.