Piquet statement on his web site (long)... What do you think?

I have received notice from the Renault F1 team of its intention to stop me from driving for them in the current F1 season. I want to say thanks to the small group who supported me and that I worked together at Renault F1, although it is obviously with great disappointment that I receive such news. But, at the same time, I feel a sense of relief for the end of the worst period of my career, and the possibility that I can now move on and put my career back on the right track and try to recover my reputation of a fast, winning driver. I am a team player and there are dozens of people I have worked with in my career who would vouch for my character and talent, except unfortunately the person that has had the most influence on my career in Formula 1.

I started racing at the age of eight and have broken record after record. I won every championship I raced in go-karts. I was South American F3 champion, winning 14 races and getting 17 pole positions. In 2003 I went to England, with my own team, to compete in the British F3 championship. I was champion there as well, winning 12 races and getting 13 pole positions. In fact I was the youngest ever champion. I raced GP2 in 2005 and 2006, winning five races and scoring six pole positions. I had a great season in my second year, only missing out on the championship to Lewis Hamilton due to technical mistakes of our team, which I take as my own as well, including running out of fuel during a race. I set the record in GP2 for the first driver to have a perfect weekend, scoring the maximum points available, in Hungary 2006. No-one matched that until July 2009 when Nico Hulkenberg did in at Nurburgring.

The path to F1 was always going to be tricky, and my father and I therefore signed a management contract with Flavio Briatore, who we believed was an excellent option with all the necessary contacts and management skills. Unfortunately, that was when the black period of my career started. I spent one year as a test driver, where I only did a handful of tests, and the next year started as a race driver with Renault. After the opening part of the season, some strange situations began to happen. As a beginner in F1, I could only expect from my team a lot of support and preparation to help me in getting up to the task. Instead, I was relegated as “someone who drives the other car” with no attention at all. In addition, on numerous occasions, fifteen minutes before qualifying and races, my manager and team boss (Briatore) would threaten me, telling me if I didn’t get a good result, he had another driver ready to put in my place. I have never needed threats before to get results. In 2008 I scored 19 points, finished once on the podium in second place, having the best debut year of a Brazilian driver in F1.

For the 2009 season Briatore, again acting both as my manager and team boss of Renault F1, promised me everything would be different, that I would get the attention I deserved but had never received, and that I would get “at least equal treatment” inside the team. He made me sign a performance-based contract, requiring me to score 40% of Fernando Alonso’s points by mid-way through the season. Despite driving with Fernando, two-time world champion and a really excellent driver, I was confident that, if I had the same conditions, I would easily attain the 40% of points required by the contract.

Unfortunately, the promises didn’t turn into reality again. With the new car I completed 2002km of testing compared to Fernando’s 3839km. Only three days of my testing was in dry weather – only one of Fernando’s was wet. I was only testing with a heavy car, hard tyres, mostly on the first day (when the track is slow and reliability is poor), or when the weather was bad. Fernando was driving a light car with soft tyres in the dry, fine conditions. I never had a chance to be prepared for the qualifying system we use. In Formula 1 today, the difference between 1st and 15th position is sometimes less than a second. It means that 0.2 or 0.3s can make you gain eight positions.

In addition to that, car development is now happening on a race-to-race basis due to the in season testing ban. Of the first nine races that I ran this year, in four of them Fernando had a significant car upgrade that I did not have. I was informed by the engineers at Renault that in those races I had a car that was between 0.5 and 0.8s a lap slower than my teammate. If I look at Germany (where I out-qualified my teammate despite that), if I had that advantage in qualifying I would be fifth and not tenth. If we had that difference in the race, I would have finished ahead of my teammate, which I did in Silverstone, despite him having upgrades that I did not have.

I believe without doubt in my talent and my performance. I didn’t get this far by getting bad results. Anyone who knows my history knows that the results I am having in F1 do not match my CV and my ability. The conditions I have had to deal with during the last two years have been very strange to say the least – there are incidents that I can hardly believe occurred myself. If I now need to give explanations, I am certain it is because of the unfair situation I have been in the past two years. I always believed that having a manager was being a part of a team and having a partner. A manager is supposed to encourage you, support you, and provide you with opportunities. In my case it was the opposite. Flavio Briatore was my executioner.

Being under pressure is not new to me. I have had criticism throughout my career, and have also had a lot of expectations put on me due to my name. Up until now I always met those expectations – surpassed them even. I have never before felt the need to defend myself or fight back from rumours and criticism because I knew the truth and I just wanted to concentrate on racing – I didn’t ever let it affect me. Fortunately, I can now say to those people who supported me through my career that I’m back on the good tracks and considering the options for a new start in my F1 career in a fair and positive way.

 

This reminds of an old saying...what was it...something about 'excuses' and everyone having them...

Hey, Nelsinnnnhhhooo, guess what? The same reason you're crying about unfair treatment like an 8-year-old girl is the same reason they canned your butt. You're in the big leagues, now. You were a winner at the lower levels? Gee, good for you. Know who else was? The other 19 drivers on the grid. Did it ever occur to you that they saw no upside in squandering extra effort on you because you're a china doll? Quit kidding yourself and do what all the other over-rated washouts do--move to America and become a successful IRL driver. Your name opened doors that never would have been accessible, and at that point it was up to you. Well, stop pointing the finger unless you're staring at a mirror. Why would your manager/team owner sabotage your career? Think about it. Maybe you should ask your daddy that question.

At this point, I just hope all your tears haven't damaged my computer...

 

Great read. I think it actually shows his side of the story.

 

His side of the story is no different than anyone else's. F1 is a man's game, and he doesn't have what it takes.

 

In a sub par car it's hard to score 40% of the points your team mate scores when your car is 0.5 to 0.8 seconds a lap slower. I believe he got the raw end of the deal when Alonso moved back to Renault.

 

I thought he was overrated from Day 1. Assume he was getting short-changed by the team. Flavio obviously would know that, and if he felt there was true F1-caliber talent there, why would he boot him mid-season? Flavio knows how to recognize talent and he knows when to cut the apron strings. I really believe that Piquet is the type who enjoyed success on the way up because he had a comfortable support system around him, lots of backing and a high-profile name. Once he reached F1, he was surrounded by strong personalities and on his own. His choice of response is indicative of someone who is lacking the emotional strength needed to accompany the driving talent for success in F1. The sport is littered with unfulfilled expectations. I actually think he would fit in well in the US, whining about it not being his fault.

 

What it reminds me of is how Alonso sounded when he was complaining about how McLaren was treating Hamilton vs. him back in '07. There's always two sides to the story. However, complaining - no matter how factual it may or may not be - never comes off sounding good. I wish him the best and hope he can get to the point where he and his family can feel proud of his accomplishments - up until now - and whatever they may be in the future.

 

The difference is that Alonso came to Mclaren as a double F1 world champion. Nelson Ângelo Tamsma Piquet Souto Maior was a one time runner-up in the Gp2 series. That being said I am not really a fan of either driver.

 

Piquet has never been the number 2 driver. He has always been number 1 and his Dad even owned some of the teams he raced for! I'm pretty sure I could beat my team-mate if my Dad owned the team! It sounds like he thought he was a star and didn't like being treated as 'the other driver'!
The rumours now are that Daddy is looking to buy BMW-Sauber for him. If that happens I expect he'll make sure he has a slow team-mate.

 

Source? I know PK snr is worth some $, but beyond a minority stake I'm not sure he's quite in that league.....