Hungarian GP – Piquet starts with a psychological advantage

Nelson Piquet is undoubtedly, for the past two weeks, another driver because he has demonstrated that he deserved his place in the premier category of motorsports: Formula 1.

After securing a second place at the German Grand Prix with admittedly a certain degree of luck, a maiden podium is still a maiden podium. Therefore, the Brazilian approaches the Hungaroring race with a completely new mindset.

He will now be able to help his teammate, Fernando Alonso, to secure a fourth place for Renault, which will not be a sign of defeat in this 2008 season.

Nelson, you stood on the podium in Germany. How did you experience this weekend?

« Finishing on the podium was of course a superb result for the team. After a disappointing position in qualifying, I thought it was the end of my weekend because I knew scoring points would then be difficult. But we didn’t give up, and the team opted for an offset strategy with just one pit stop to try to climb back, and it finally paid off as immediately after my pit stop the deployment of the safety car allowed me to return to the front and eventually make it to the podium. »

What did you feel as it was your first podium in the premier category?

« Being on the podium and seeing the whole team so happy for me was an incredibly strong feeling, and it definitely reinforces our determination! I am well aware that I had a bit of luck, but you also need to know how to seize it when it comes your way, and until the end of the race, I held on to secure this second place. The car was performing well, and even though I was on soft tires, I was able to attack and remain consistent. Achieving this podium finish was a great reward for the entire team, especially after our start to the season. I certainly hope this is just the beginning because I would like to experience these incredible feelings again very soon! »

We are in Hungary this week, a track where you had an incredible weekend in GP2. Are you eager to race in Budapest again?

« Absolutely! My GP2 weekend in Hungary in 2006 was truly very special. I won the Saturday race starting from pole position and then won the Sunday race while securing the fastest laps in both races. It is without a doubt the best weekend of my career! It’s an interesting circuit, you have to find the right rhythm and apparently it suits me quite well! It will undoubtedly be very different in terms of feeling driving an F1 but I am really looking forward to getting started! »

What will your goals be for this weekend?

« It will undoubtedly be difficult to fight for the podium under normal circumstances because the leaders are always more competitive than us. But the battle in the pack is likely to be tight, like in Germany, and we will need to try to have a strong qualifying session to position ourselves well on the grid. Therefore, I would like to enter Q3, and I think I am being realistic by aiming for points in Sunday’s race. »

According to a Renault F1 Team press release