PIQUET SR. SAYS BRIATORE BAN DESERVED

"He's deserved it," Piquet said in a lengthy interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. "Let's suppose it wasn't his idea: to let a young driver do and be persuaded to do something like that is terrible. He must stay away from racing.
What happened doesn't please me," he said. "I had a fantastic career, and before F1 my son won in every class. I put him in the hands of Briatore and the first year wasn't bad.
2009, instead, has been a disaster because he couldn't test except for a minimum during winter testing. When he was made to crash at Singapore last year, right here at Interlagos I reported the fact to the FIA by talking to Charlie Whiting.
He told me that either there was convincing proof, or Nelsinho would have had to make a written statement, otherwise no action could be taken. When in Hungary I asked Briatore for an explanation over Nelsinho's sacking, he replied with the attitude of an untouchable: - 'If you have something to complain about do it in court. I'm a business man and act like one.'-
"So I replied harshly that he must not be upset with me for what I would do. And I went to Paris to speak to Mosley about it. I asked him what risks would Nelsinho face. He replied: 'If he comes here to speak spontaneously and the investigation shows that he told the truth, then he will have immunity from the World Council. It was Briatore looking for an extension. I, instead, wanted Nelsinho not to race with Renault anymore. I had already found for him a seat at Toro Rosso with Berger.
But Nelsinho wanted to stay at Renault in 2009, because there was the chance that Alonso would go to Ferrari. Briatore convinced him that he would make him test. With the clause, however, that if he didn't score at least 40% of Alonso's points by mid season, the contract could be terminated. It was them proposing this three hours before the race. They wanted Nelsinho to sign an option for 2009 since the previous day. I had suggested to him not to sign anything.
So Briatore told him: - 'How can you race in F1 if it's your father deciding instead of you? But if you want to help the team you could do this...' Then Briatore left and Symonds said that it could be a good idea. Nelsinho was persuaded." Nelson Piquet sr said.

PIQUET: A MOVE TO NASCAR SERIES!

“We look forward to helping Vitor Meira (who currently races in the IndyCar Series) and Nelson Piquet make the transition into NASCAR,
It’s not an easy thing to do to go from an open wheel background to racing stock cars but they are both immensely talented and have the ability to be successful in any series they chose to race in.” Red Horse Racing Owner Tom DeLoach said in a statement.

PIQUET: AT EACH RACE IT WAS ALWAYS THE SAME STORY

Some people have suggested that I was blackmailing Renault to continue my career but the situation was more complicated for a long time before," The Times

"At each race it was always the same story of threatening to withdraw my contract or the renewal for the next season.
"I made the allegation so that no other driver would go through what I went through and, more importantly, so that the whole episode would be clarified the way it has been. Some people have suggested I should have been punished by the FIA but, in reality, no one has been punished more than I have," Piquet insisted.
"I am at the beginning of my career, unlike the others who have been punished in this case.
I am going to have to overcome many obstacles.
I more or less have to start my career from scratch in Formula 1." Piquet said

PIQUET versus RENAULT

Responding to Renault's claims, Piquet commented: "Regarding the current FIA investigation, I confirm that I have co-operated fully and honestly with the sport’s governing body. Because I am telling the truth I have nothing to fear, whether from the ING Renault Team or Mr Briatore and whilst I am well aware of the power and influence of those being investigated, and the vast resources at their disposal, I will not be bullied again into making a decision I regret.
I have every confidence in the FIA investigation and World Motor Sport Council and I will be making no further comment until the conclusion of the hearing of 21 September 2009."
F1

RENAULT TAKING LEGAL ACTION AGAINST NELSON PIQUET

The full statement from Renault:
"The FIA has announced that it is to hold an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council ('WMSC') on 21 September 2009. The ING Renault F1 Team is to attend that meeting and answer allegations that members of the team conspired with Nelson Piquet Jnr to cause a deliberate accident at the 2008 Singapore GP, so that Fernando Alonso might benefit from the resulting safety car.

"The ING Renault F1 Team had not commented publicly during the FIA's initial investigation into this matter.

"However, today the ING Renault F1 Team and its Managing Director Flavio Briatore personally, wish to state that they have commenced criminal proceedings against Nelson Piquet Junior and Nelson Piquet Senior in France concerning the making of false allegations and a related attempt to blackmail the team into allowing Mr Piquet Jnr to drive for the remainder of the 2009 season. The matter will also be referred to the Police in the UK."

Nelson Piquet Jr has announced that Renault has dropped him with immediate effect

Nelson Piquet Jr has announced that Renault has dropped him with immediate effect , and blamed his team boss and manager Flavio Briatore for ruining his career.

Piquet branded Briatore “my executioner” and accused him of breaking a promise that he would get equal treatment to team-mate Fernando Alonso this year.

He said he felt relief as well as disappointment at the end of his Renault tenure, which he called the worst period of his career.

“I have received notice from the Renault F1 team of its intention to stop me from driving for them in the current F1 season,” Piquet said.

“I want to say thanks to the small group who supported me and that I worked together [with] 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 [being] a fast, winning driver.”

Piquet revealed that his contract contained a performance clause requiring him to score 40% of the points Alonso had amassed by the midway point of the season.

With Alonso having scored all 13 of Renault’s points to date, Piquet failed to hit that target – but claims he was never given a fair chance since the double world champion did the lion’s share of pre-season testing and was often given a more advanced specification of the team’s R29 car.

“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,” said Piquet.

“I was informed by the engineers at Renault that in those races I had a car that was between 0.5s and 0.8s a lap slower than my team-mate.”

Piquet said Briatore had assured him during the winter that he would have the same status in the team as Alonso.

“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 said.

“…Unfortunately, the promises didn't turn into reality again.”

“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 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,” he said.

“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, 15 minutes before qualifying and races, my manager and team boss (Briatore) would threaten me, telling me that 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.”

“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.”

"www.npiquet.com"