Piquet: “Briatore, my executioner”

In his press release, Nelson Piquet Jr, after resuming his career in the world of motorsport, recounts in detail how he arrived in Formula 1. “The path to F1 is quite complicated, so my father and I signed a management contract with Flavio Briatore. We thought it was a good fit because he had the necessary contacts and management skills. Unfortunately, this is where the dark period of my career began. »

“I spent a year as a test pilot, where I only did a handful of tests. The following year, I became a racing driver for Renault. After the season started, strange things started happening. As a newbie to F1, I expected a lot of support from my team to ensure I was up to the task. But, instead, I was just seen as "someone who drives the other car" without any other attention. »

“And then, on many occasions, fifteen minutes before qualifying and races, my manager and team leader (Briatore) threatened me, telling me that if I didn't get a good result, he would have another driver to put in my place. I never needed threats to get results. In 2008, I scored 19 points, I made a podium (second place), having had the best first year for a Brazilian driver. »

“For the 2009 season, Briatore, still my manager and boss of the Renault F1 Team, promised me that everything would be different, that I should have the attention I deserved. But I never received equal treatment within the team. He made me sign a performance-based contract, asking me to score 40% of the points Fernando Alonso mid-season. Despite driving alongside Fernando, a double world champion and excellent driver, I was confident. I thought that by riding in the same conditions, I could easily reach the 40% points required in the contract. »

“Unfortunately, promises have not been translated into action, again. With the new car, I did 2002 km of tests, compared to 3839 km for Fernando. I only did three days of dry track testing. I was only testing with a heavy car, hard tires, especially on the first day or when the weather was bad. Fernando was driving a light car, with soft tires, in good weather conditions. I never had the chance to prepare for the qualification system we use. Today, in F1, the difference between first and fifteenth place is less than a second. Two or three tenths can gain eight positions on the grid. »

“On top of that, the development of the car was done from one race to the next, due to the ban on private testing. During the first nine races of the year, in four of them, Fernando had significant developments that I did not have. I was informed by the engineers that, during these races, my car was slower by five to eight tenths per lap. If, in Germany for example, I had benefited from this advantage, I would have placed fifth and not tenth in qualifying. If we had this difference in the race, I could have finished in front of my teammate, which I did at Silverstone, despite the fact that he had developments that I did not have. »

“I believe, without a doubt, in my talent. I was not that far away despite these poor results. Anyone who knows my story knows that my results in F1 do not correspond to my CV and my abilities. The conditions to which I was subjected were very strange. There have been incidents that I can't believe myself. If I need to give explanations, it is because I find the way I have been treated in recent years unfair. A manager is supposed to encourage you, support you and provide you with opportunities. In my case, it was the opposite. Briatore was my executioner. »