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Piquet has just three races to save F1 career
Topic Started: May 29 2008, 10:11 AM (264 Views)
u4coffee
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Is Renault beginning to run out of patience for its error-prone rookie..?

Nelsinho Piquet allegedly has just three races left now to prove that he is worthy of his place in Formula 1, following a massively disappointing start to his fledgling career in the top flight.

The young Brazilian has failed to either out-qualify team-mate Fernando Alonso or trouble the scorers during the first six grands prix of the 2008 campaign, three times falling in the Q1 drop zone and holding an average starting position of just 15.3, compared to Alonso's five top ten qualifying performances, average position of 7.8 and nine points notched up thus far.

After a calamitous Monaco Grand Prix - with a brush with the tyres in free practice the prelude to a lowly 17th spot in qualifying and heavy contact with the circuit's unforgiving barriers on lap 47 on race day - rumours have intensified that the 22-year-old has now until only the British Grand Prix in July to substantially raise his game…or else face the exit door.

Super Aguri refugees Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson, and Renault test driver and GP2 Series front-runner Romain Grosjean, have all been mooted as possible replacements should Piquet continue to fail to deliver, whilst Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell suggests Alonso's scheduled running at the post Canadian Grand Prix test has been shelved so that his team-mate can be in the car on all three days.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/29052008/23/...-f1-career.html
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Lex
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not really surprising! Flav kicked Button out in favour of Alonso a few years back because he said he wasn't performing as well as Fisi. I can't remember there being too much in it then to be honest, so with such a disparity in results and the errors, I'm surprised it's 3 races!
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Rams
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That report doesn't even have any quotes to back it up, lol...

Quote:
 
Team boss Flavio Briatore has strongly backed Nelson Piquet amid rising speculation about the struggling rookie's dubious future at Renault.

"Nelsinho definitely has talent," the Italian is quoted as saying this week by sportnet, after yet another disappointing race for 22-year-old at Monaco last Sunday.

Rumours suggest that the Brazilian, whose despair was captured by photographers after he slid out of the prestigious race, has been handed a three race deadline to up his game, as laid-off Super Aguri line-up Anthony Davidson and Takuma Sato wait in the wings.

Briatore added: "He is a part of the team and we need him. I have no doubts about that."

Briatore's comments come after his fellow Renault chief Pat Symonds insisted this week that Piquet, the son of his namesake and former triple world champion, is only lacking confidence following a disastrous opening third to his F1 career.

Engineering boss Symonds compares Piquet's performances so far in 2008 with his predecessor Heikki Kovalainen, who managed to turn around his fortunes at about the same time last year.

"At this time last year a lot of people were thinking Heikki was entering his last few races," the Briton stated on Renault's podcast this week.

"With a driver or a sportsman it's about self esteem, and believing in yourself.

"All Nelson needs to do is to turn that corner and believe in himself and it will happen again," Symonds

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news...529092141.shtml
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u4coffee
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Stop trying to let facts get in the way of a good story/ witch hunt!! <roflmao>
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Norbert
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I think Piquet Jr might have a little more chance than someone else in his position. After all, his dad just happened to driver for what is effectively the same team, and I'm pretty sure that Flavio was there when he did so.....
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willyshafter
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I think piquet constant lip flapping about how good he is pushed the career self distruct button long before the first race. To be honest I don't think I am alone at getting pleasure out of the thunb screws beibg tightened on the little gobsh*te. He is all mouth and no trousers and only has himself to blame.

Although I do think spending a year on the sidelines as a test driver has blunted his racer edge and the return Alonso has ment he is not getting the support he need from the team as they foucs on the needs of the Alonso.
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Bear
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Rams,May 29 2008
10:56 AM
That report doesn't even have any quotes to back it up, lol...

Quote:
 
Team boss Flavio Briatore has strongly backed Nelson Piquet amid rising speculation about the struggling rookie's dubious future at Renault.

"Nelsinho definitely has talent," the Italian is quoted as saying this week by sportnet, after yet another disappointing race for 22-year-old at Monaco last Sunday.

Rumours suggest that the Brazilian, whose despair was captured by photographers after he slid out of the prestigious race, has been handed a three race deadline to up his game, as laid-off Super Aguri line-up Anthony Davidson and Takuma Sato wait in the wings.

Briatore added: "He is a part of the team and we need him. I have no doubts about that."

Briatore's comments come after his fellow Renault chief Pat Symonds insisted this week that Piquet, the son of his namesake and former triple world champion, is only lacking confidence following a disastrous opening third to his F1 career.

Engineering boss Symonds compares Piquet's performances so far in 2008 with his predecessor Heikki Kovalainen, who managed to turn around his fortunes at about the same time last year.

"At this time last year a lot of people were thinking Heikki was entering his last few races," the Briton stated on Renault's podcast this week.

"With a driver or a sportsman it's about self esteem, and believing in yourself.

"All Nelson needs to do is to turn that corner and believe in himself and it will happen again," Symonds

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news...529092141.shtml

I read that a little earlier on and was struck that Flav talks about NP being part of the team but doesn't go so far as to say he will keep his race seat. Could see Renault dropping NP back for another year of testing or field him out to another team. Driver swap anyone?

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TheCompleteGuitarist
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willyshafter,May 29 2008
11:51 AM
I think piquet constant lip flapping about how good he is pushed the career self distruct button long before the first race. To be honest I don't think I am alone <thumbsup> at getting pleasure out of the thunb screws beibg tightened on the little gobsh*te. He is all mouth and no trousers and only has himself to blame.

Although I do think spending a year on the sidelines as a test driver has blunted his racer edge and the return Alonso has ment he is not getting the support he need from the team as they foucs on the needs of the Alonso.

Hey where's the flak for this guy, I said the same and less bluntly but got nothing but grief for my opinions.

As for his test driving blunting his race craft, it hurt Wurz big time because he was out for so long, but it didn't harm Massa so I don't see that as a good enough excuse.

Some drivers excel in other forms of motorracing and formulas but really struggle to make the break in F1. Maybe Piquet is one of those.
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AndyW76
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I think piquet's fall from grace is more to do with his claims last year that he was as good as Lewis and that he should have had a race seat. To compare Lewis and Neshilio may be a tad unfair because they are in different situation for their rookie year (though they do have the same team mate). The better comparison would be with Kovalinen because he was at Renault last year in a similar standing. Heikke, although starting poorly in Oz 2007, improved rapidly and did achieve some good results in his first half season. Piquet should at least be matching this if he is to impress, but, so far, he is struggling to do so. He may improve yet and prove us all wrong, but currently he is doing himself no favours and is more interested in complaining that knuckling down and looking for the extra speed. I do think that Alonso's performances have flattered the renault but it can't so bad that Piquet is so far off alonso's pace.
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