NelsonPiquet

Nelson Piquet Souto Maior, a Brazilian racing driver and businessman, forged a formidable legacy in Formula One, securing three World Drivers' Championships in 1981, 1983, and 1987. Over 14 seasons, he claimed 23 Grand Prix victories, establishing himself as a prominent figure in the sport's history.

Early Foundations and European Ascent

Born on August 17, 1952, in Rio de Janeiro, Piquet initially pursued tennis, encouraged by his father, a physician and former Minister for Health. Starting at age 11, he won tournaments in Brazil and traveled to California, gaining maturity and English proficiency. Finding tennis insufficiently exciting, he transitioned to motor racing. At 14, Piquet began karting, concealing his involvement from his father by using his mother's maiden name, Piquet, misspelled as Piket. He became the Brazilian national karting champion in 1971–72. After dropping out of an engineering course in 1974, he financed his career by working in a garage, lacking family financial support. His success continued with a victory in the Formula Vee Brazil championship in 1976. Encouraged by Emerson Fittipaldi, Piquet moved to Europe, where he was hailed as a prodigy. In the 1978 British Formula 3 season, he surpassed Jackie Stewart's record for the most wins in a single season.

Formula 1 Debut and Brabham Years

Piquet made his Formula One debut in 1978 at the German Grand Prix with Ensign, retiring due to an engine issue. He then drove for McLaren (BS Fabrications) for three races, achieving a ninth-place finish in Italy. For the final race of 1978, Piquet joined the Brabham team, where he would remain until 1985. His first full season in 1979 with Brabham proved challenging, marked by frequent retirements and incidents. Despite setbacks, Piquet showcased raw speed in qualifying, often outperforming teammate Niki Lauda. Lauda's abrupt departure before the Canadian Grand Prix elevated Piquet to Brabham's lead driver, where he debuted the new Ford-Cosworth DFV-powered BT49, demonstrating its potential with a fastest lap at the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. The 1980 season saw Piquet emerge as a serious contender. He secured his maiden Grand Prix victory at the United States Grand Prix West, winning by over 50 seconds, and followed this with back-to-back wins in the Netherlands and Italy. He finished the season as runner-up, 13 points behind Alan Jones, a championship battle that included a contentious incident at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The First World Championships: 1981 and 1983

Piquet's ascent culminated in his first World Championship in 1981. Brabham introduced a controversial suspension system that allowed their car to circumvent new ground-clearance rules by lowering at speed. This innovation propelled Piquet to an easy victory at the Argentine Grand Prix, a design advantage quickly adopted by other teams, leading to his win at San Marino. Despite retirements and a tyre failure in Britain, Piquet mounted a strong comeback. He won the German Grand Prix and, through consistent results, entered the final race in Las Vegas just one point behind Carlos Reutemann. Piquet secured fifth place, enough to clinch the title as Reutemann finished out of the points. The extreme desert heat and anti-clockwise track left Piquet exhausted and dehydrated, requiring assistance from his car. The 1982 season was marred by the unreliability of Brabham's new BMW turbocharged engines, leading to numerous retirements. Piquet won the Brazilian Grand Prix in extreme heat, collapsing on the podium, only to be later disqualified for an underweight car. His only official win that year came at the Canadian Grand Prix, marking BMW's first Formula One victory. The season also featured Piquet physically confronting Eliseo Salazar on live television after a collision in Germany. Piquet rebounded in 1983 to claim his second World Championship. Driving the arrow-shaped BT52, he won the season opener in Brazil and secured two second-place finishes in France and Monaco. Trailing Alain Prost by 14 points with three races remaining, Piquet delivered back-to-back victories at Monza and Brands Hatch. At the season-ending South African Grand Prix, Prost retired, allowing Piquet to finish third and secure his second title. This championship marked a significant milestone as the first won by a turbocharged car, and BMW's sole Formula One championship.

Brabham's Later Challenges and Williams Transition

The 1984 season, with new fuel capacity rules, was expected to favor Brabham's BMW engine. While Piquet achieved a record-equaling nine pole positions using special 900+ hp qualifying engines, race results did not materialize as expected. McLaren dominated. Piquet managed two victories—in Canada, where he suffered burns to his foot from an overheated radiator, and Detroit—but finished fifth in the championship. In 1985, Brabham's switch to Pirelli tyres proved detrimental in cold European conditions. Piquet secured only one win at the French Grand Prix. Growing frustrated with his lower salary, lack of team communication, and the tyre situation, Piquet sought a move. He accepted an offer from Williams, which included a contract three times his Brabham salary and a potent Honda turbocharged engine. Honda, keen to secure Piquet, bought out his Brabham contract.

Williams: Intense Rivalry and Third Title

Piquet's move to Williams in 1986 placed him alongside Nigel Mansell, igniting one of Formula One's most intense internal rivalries. Piquet believed he had a verbal agreement with Frank Williams for number one status, but Williams' serious car accident early in 1986 left technical director Patrick Head, Mansell's race engineer, in charge. The rivalry led to them depriving each other of crucial points, allowing Alain Prost to clinch the championship. Piquet, who won four races that season—more than in any of his championship years—believed Williams had not honored their contract. In 1987, Piquet secured his third and final World Championship through political maneuvering and technical acumen. He was recognized as a highly capable testing and development driver. The rift with Mansell persisted. A significant turning point for Piquet was a high-speed crash at Imola's Tamburello curve during qualifying, resulting in a concussion. He was ordered not to race and later revealed he was "never quite right" afterward, suffering from insomnia and an 80% loss of depth perception. He secretly visited a Milan hospital, fearing his team would bench him. Despite this, the FW11 remained dominant, and Piquet, adopting a "percentage driving policy" of consistent podium finishes, clinched the title over Mansell, despite winning fewer races. His announcement of a move to Lotus, where he was promised undisputed number one status, was a factor in Honda's decision to leave Williams for McLaren in 1988.

Post-Championship Era: Lotus and Benetton

Piquet's move to Lotus for the 1988 season, carrying the number 1, coincided with a period of stagnation. Despite the Lotus 100T using the same Honda V6 turbo as the dominant McLarens, its chassis suffered aerodynamic issues. Piquet, without a single win in 1988, saw his status diminish as Ayrton Senna claimed the championship. During this period, Piquet gained a reputation for outspoken remarks about rivals. The Rio de Janeiro circuit was renamed in his honor before the 1988 season. The 1989 season with Lotus proved equally disappointing, as the team used a less powerful Judd V8 engine. Piquet achieved a notable fourth place at the British Grand Prix but, along with teammate Satoru Nakajima, failed to qualify for the Belgian Grand Prix. In 1990, Piquet moved to Benetton, signing an incentive-based "payment-by-results" deal. Partnering with the Benetton B190 and its exclusive Ford-Cosworth HB4 V8 engine, Piquet experienced a resurgence. Despite being occasionally outperformed by teammate Alessandro Nannini, Piquet secured two victories in the final two races of the season. His win in Japan was somewhat inherited, while his Australian Grand Prix victory, the 500th World Championship Grand Prix, came after a spirited challenge from Mansell. These points propelled him to third in the championship. His final Formula One victory came in 1991 at Montreal, again at the expense of Mansell, whose Williams-Renault stalled on the last lap while leading. Piquet announced his retirement from Formula One in January 1992 to focus on business ventures.

Beyond Formula 1: Other Ventures and Personal Life

After Formula One, Piquet explored other racing disciplines. He attempted the Indianapolis 500 in 1992, but a practice crash resulted in serious foot and ankle injuries. He returned in 1993, qualifying 13th but retiring early. Piquet also participated in sports car racing. He won the 1981 1000km Nürburgring and the 1997 Mil Milhas Brasileiras. In 2006, at age 53, he won the 50th edition of the Mil Milhas Brasileiras at Interlagos alongside his son, Nelson Piquet Jr., famously declaring he would "never sit in a cockpit again." Beyond the track, Piquet transitioned into business. In 1992, he founded Autotrac, a pioneering company providing mobile data messaging and GPS tracking for trucks in Brazil, which proved highly successful. In 2000, he established Piquet Sports, a racing team to support his son's career. He runs several businesses in Brasília and has an estimated net worth of US$200 million. Piquet, known for his practical jokes and a "playboy" lifestyle, was candid about his preferences, famously stating that Monaco was "like riding a bicycle around your living room." He has several children, including Nelson Jr., Kelly Piquet, and Pedro Piquet. In 2007, he and his wife were stripped of their driving licenses due to repeated traffic offenses. A 2012 interview revealed the lasting impact of his 1987 Imola crash, stating he was "never quite right" afterward, suffering depth perception loss and driving for financial gain. He underwent heart surgery in 2013 and made a full recovery. Today, he resides on a farm in Brasília.

Legacy and Controversies

Nelson Piquet's career is marked by three World Championships and 23 Grand Prix wins, earning him induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2000 and recognition as one of Formula One's greatest drivers. However, Piquet's legacy is also intertwined with a history of controversial remarks. In 1988, he publicly insulted Nigel Mansell and his wife, made false accusations about Ayrton Senna's sexuality, and called Enzo Ferrari "senile." While he later retracted some comments, these contributed to his outspoken reputation. More recently, in 2021, Piquet used the Portuguese term "neguinho" when discussing Lewis Hamilton, comments that resurfaced in 2022 and drew widespread condemnation. He apologized, but subsequent footage revealed he had also used homophobic language against Hamilton. He also described Keke Rosberg as "a turd that has no value." As a result, Piquet was banned from the F1 paddock in July 2022, and the British Racing Drivers' Club suspended his membership. In March 2023, a Brazilian court ordered him to pay R$5,000,000 (approximately US$950,000) in moral damages. The ban from the F1 paddock was lifted by the end of 2024, and he attended the São Paulo Grand Prix as a guest of Red Bull.