A meteoric rise
In 1976, at the age of 24, Nelson Piquet won the 1976 Brazilian Formula Vee Series. With advice from two-time world champion and fellow Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, Piquet crossed the Atlantic Ocean to race in Europe.
Success came quickly, and Piquet in a Ralt-Toyota, took a record number of wins (13) in Formula three in 1978, beating Jackie Stewart’s all-time record.
These performances attracted the attention of Formula One team owners and in the same year, without passing through Formula 2 like most, Nelson made his Formula One debut with the Ensign team of Mo Nunn in Germany, but had to retire in the race.
He then made a deal with Bob Sparshott to drive a BS Fabrications-entered McLaren M23 for three races. Piquet made great impression in Italy (picture below), where a total of five McLaren’s where seen on the grid, and where he finished in ninth position.
Bernie Ecclestone, owner of the Brabham team, was quick to react, and hired Piquet (next to his drivers Lauda and Watson) for the season ending Canadian Grand Prix (picture above) and for the coming years. A champion had arrived.
Cc contente de vous retrouver pour cette nouvelle saison de formule 1!
Aujourd’hui, c’est le beau-fils de Nelson Piquet, c’est-à-dire Max Verstappen, qui se fait remarquer. Il a rendu l’issue de la course incertaine. Il a été l’embûche sur le chemin vers la première victoire, en cette saison, du sextuple champion du monde Lewis Hamilton.
Il a l’air plus menaçant qu’avant, Verstappen! Je sens que nous n’allons pas nous ennuyer cette année.
Merci de nous suivre avec passion !