Brazilian · Heidelberg, West Germany · Born 25 July 1985Nelson Piquet Jr. is a Brazilian racing driver, the son of three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet, whose brief Renault F1 career ended amid the 'Crashgate' scandal before he went on to become the inaugural Formula E World Champion.
Nelson Piquet Jr. became the youngest-ever British Formula Three champion in 2004 at age 19, reached Formula 1 with Renault in 2008, and later became the inaugural FIA Formula E World Champion in the 2014-15 season — though his F1 career ended prematurely after he revealed he had deliberately crashed at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix under team orders. He built a strong junior career, winning the South American Formula Three Championship in 2002 and becoming the youngest-ever British Formula Three champion in 2004 at age 19, before finishing runner-up in the 2006 GP2 Series. Piquet Jr. joined Renault as a test and reserve driver in 2007 before being promoted to a race seat for 2008 alongside Fernando Alonso, but a disappointing start to the season put him under intense pressure. He scored his best F1 result, second place, at the 2008 German Grand Prix, but was dropped by Renault midway through 2009. After his exit, it emerged that Piquet Jr. had deliberately crashed at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix under instruction from senior Renault team figures, to help trigger a safety car that benefited teammate Alonso's race strategy — a scandal that became known as 'Crashgate' and ended his Formula One career at age 24. Piquet Jr. and his father later won a libel case against Renault. He moved into NASCAR and rallycross before finding renewed success in the new FIA Formula E Championship, becoming its first-ever World Champion in the 2014-15 season, and he continues to compete in sports car and stock car racing today.
The 2008 'Crashgate' scandal at Renault, and later becoming the first-ever Formula E World Champion
How They Played
Aggressive, quick single-seater racer whose F1 career never matched his junior-formula promise
Lasting Impact
His F1 career is remembered as one of the sport's most notorious controversies, but he found redemption and genuine success as Formula E's inaugural champion
Career Honours
- Inaugural Formula E World Champion (2014-15)
- British Formula Three Champion (2004), youngest ever at the time
- GP2 Series runner-up (2006)
| Constructor | Season(s) | Races |
|---|---|---|
| Renault | 2008–2009 | — |
| Career Total | — | 0 |
Brazilian Athletes