Nelson Piquet Jr. or Nelsinho Piquet, is a Brazilian racing driver who has competed in everything from Formula One to Formula E, where he became champion in the 2014–15 season. And going on to race in the Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series, and the European Le Mans Series LMP2 Pro/Am class with Team Virage.
| Nationality | Brazilian |
|---|---|
| Born | Nelson Ângelo Tamsma Piquet Souto Maior 25 July 1985 Heidelberg, West Germany |
The son of three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet, Nelsinho’s career began with big expectations. He joined Renault as a Formula One test driver in 2007 and earned a race seat for 2008, partnering Fernando Alonso. His F1 career ended abruptly in 2009 after the infamous “Crashgate” scandal, when it emerged that he had deliberately crashed at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix under team orders to benefit Alonso.
Beyond Formula One, Piquet Jr. has had success in multiple series, finishing runner-up in the 2006 GP2 Series, seventh in the 2012 NASCAR Truck Series, and fourth in the 2014 Global RallyCross Championship.
Formula One Career: 2007–2009
2007: Test Driver
Piquet Jr. spent the 2007 season as Renault’s official test and reserve driver.
2008: Rookie Year
In 2008, Piquet Jr. was promoted to the Renault race team, replacing Heikki Kovalainen. Reports suggested Kovalainen’s potential rivalry with Alonso influenced Renault’s decision.
His F1 debut at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix ended with a collision on lap one and retirement on lap 31 — coincidentally the same race result his father had in his own F1 debut in 1978. The early season was rocky, with retirements in Bahrain (gearbox issues), Spain (collision), Monaco (wet conditions), and Canada (brake failure).
Under pressure from Renault, Piquet Jr. scored his first F1 points with a 7th place at the 2008 French Grand Prix. At Silverstone he was running fourth before spinning out in heavy rain. His best moment came at the 2008 German Grand Prix, where a one-stop strategy and a safety car helped him finish second behind Lewis Hamilton — his first and only F1 podium. He also took a 4th place in Japan later that year.
2009: Struggles and Exit
Despite rumours he might be dropped, Renault kept Piquet Jr. for 2009. The season began poorly, with multiple early exits and no points. He did manage 10th in Bahrain and out-qualified Alonso for the first time at the 2009 German Grand Prix, but results didn’t improve.
On 3 August, 2009, Piquet confirmed he had been dropped by Renault, accusing team boss Flavio Briatore of favouring Alonso and calling him his “executioner.” Romain Grosjean replaced him for the remainder of the season.
2009 FIA Investigation: “Crashgate”
After leaving Renault, Piquet Jr. alleged that his crash at the 2008 Singapore GP was deliberate, planned by Briatore and engineer Pat Symonds to help Alonso win. Initially, Piquet Jr. had called it a mistake, but later gave full testimony to the FIA, receiving immunity in return.
Renault initially threatened legal action, but soon after dropped the case. Briatore and Symonds left the team on 16 September 2009. In the FIA hearing on 21 September, Piquet Jr. expressed regret, saying he had been isolated and pressured into agreeing to the plan. Renault countered by claiming Piquet Jr. himself had proposed the idea to secure a contract extension.
In December 2010, Piquet and his father won a libel case against Renault, who formally apologised and paid damages, admitting the allegations had not been fabricated.
After Formula One
Following “Crashgate,” speculation swirled about Piquet Jr.’s return to F1, with Bernie Ecclestone even suggesting he could join Bruno Senna at Campos in 2010. A Spanish media hoax briefly claimed he had signed with Campos, but in reality he explored talks with Force India before deciding to switch to NASCAR in 2010.
Even after the scandal, Piquet admitted he had spoken with more than one F1 team about a potential comeback — but his career ultimately took a different path.
Nelson Piquet Jr. Formula One World Championship Career
| F1 Career | 2008–2009 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Renault |
| Entries | 28 (28 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 1 |
| Career points | 19 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 2008 Australian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix |
Nelson Piquet Jr. Teammates
| 1 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Alonso | 28 | 2008 | 2009 |
Nelson Piquet Jr. Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | ING Renault F1 Team | Renault R28 | Renault RS27 2.4 V8 | AUS Ret | MAL 11 | BHR Ret | ESP Ret | TUR 15 | MON Ret | CAN Ret | FRA 7 | GBR Ret | GER 2 | HUN 6 | EUR 11 | BEL Ret | ITA 10 | SIN Ret | JPN 4 | CHN 8 | BRA Ret | 12th | 19 |
| 2009 | ING Renault F1 Team | Renault R29 | Renault RS27 2.4 V8 | AUS Ret | MAL 13 | CHN 16 | BHR 10 | ESP 12 | MON Ret | TUR 16 | GBR 12 | GER 13 | HUN 12 | EUR | BEL | ITA | SIN | JPN | BRA | ABU | 21st | 0 |
