Ghosn and Piquet in front of the Brazilian president

A week after his appointment as a driver for the 2008 ING Renault F1 Team, Nelson Piquet Jr. accompanied Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault Group, today during his meeting with Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil.

The meeting took place in Brasilia, where Nelson Piquet Jr’s family resides. Introduced to President Lula following a meeting between the Brazilian President and Carlos Ghosn, Nelson Piquet Jr then spoke to the local media who came in large numbers to talk with the young driver and the President of the Renault Group.

After a photo session in front of the Renault Sandero, a five-door sedan developed for markets in South America among others and produced notably at the Renault plant in Curitiba, Nelson Piquet Jr then answered questions from over 300 Renault guests and members of the Losange network in Brazil. It was an opportunity for these guests to meet the young driver, discuss his career, his profession, and his expectations for the coming season.

Carlos Ghosn declared: « Brazilians must know that Renault is also a Brazilian company, with a local presence, precisely in Curitiba. Having a Brazilian driver within our Formula 1 team will undeniably help us increase brand awareness in this market which is very important to us. »

« I am therefore very happy to see Nelson racing for us next year and I am convinced that with Fernando Alonso they will be able to fight at the forefront in 2008.

Nelson Piquet Jr stated: « I was very honored to take part in this day alongside Mr. Carlos Ghosn and to meet President Lula. It was my first outing as an official driver for the ING Renault F1 Team, in the city where my family is settled no less, and I can already see the change it represents for the people I meet. »

I was very well received by the guests of Renault Brazil, in charge of organizing this operation. We are fortunate as drivers to participate in this type of event, but I am now eager to start preparing for next season and especially to get back on track, very soon.

According to the ING Renault F1 Team