The son of the mythical brazilian F1 driver, Nelson Piquet, had a first contact with the World Series under the tutelage of Repsol
Nelson Angelo Piquet has tested the Team Repsol Meycom single-seater of the World Series today in Interlagos
Son of the legendary Brazilian driver, three times F1 World Champion Nelson Piquet, Angelo Piquet, sat today at the steering wheel of one of the Team Repsol Meycom single-seaters which have been taking part this 2002 season in the World Series. Angelo, who is trying to follow his father’s footsteps in this sport, clinched this season the title of F3 South American Champion. Today, a total of ten drivers met at the Brazilian circuit of Interlagos; most of them young drivers, who were being tested by different teams with regard to the coming 2003 season. The rain has been showing up along the day, but that didn’t hinder the young Brazilian to drive a total of 92 laps around the track, making approx. 450 Km. For Angelo Piquet, this has been a very interesting experience and I want to thank the Repsol Meycom Team for giving me this opportunity. This single-seater is completely different to the one I have been driving last season in the F3, both with regard to dimensions and power. Now I know what ‘power’ means. Until now, I had been driving my F3 with 205 HP but this car has about 400 HP. What impressed me most at the beginning was the speed, I didn’t expect this single-seater to be that fast. I like the car very much as a whole, the chassis is very good and I think that the power increase it is going to get next season will fit perfectly well. With regard to his future, Angelo admits that for the moment he will move on to the English F3… because there I will be driving a single-seater I already know. If I would change over to the World Series I would need a year to adapt, a year I would be fighting with drivers who already have a lot more experience than I do with these single-seaters. And while Piquet Junior was doing his last laps on the Brazilian circuit, Nelson Piquet Senior was leaning at the signalling wall watching carefully and a little nervous, how his son was evolving at the steering wheel of the Team Repsol Meycom single-seater. Angelo has really impressed me several times this season, due to his speed and how secure he feels on the track. Today he has adapted himself quite good to a single-seater that is quite different to the one he usually drives, making quite interesting times at the end of the session. Angelo was looking forward to these tests. In fact, I only came here to watch how things were going; it was him who contacted Repsol to have a chance to try the single-seater, said a proud Nelson Piquet. Sao Paulo Results 1 Justin Wilson (Racing Engineering), 1min25s553 (54 laps)2 Ricardo Sperafico (Vergani Racing), 1min26s420 (76 laps)3 Paul Edwards (KTR), 1min26s502 (53 laps)4 Ricardo Maurício (Racing Engineering), 1min26s841 (48 laps)5 Nélson Ângelo Piquet (Repsol Meycon), 1min27s067 (92 laps)6 João Paulo Oliveira (KTR), 1min27s156 (45 laps)7 Angelo Serafin (Zele Motorsport), 1min27s319 (70 laps)8 Carlos Pereira (RC Motorsport), 1min27s423 (89 laps)9 Cesar Campanico (GD Racing), 1min27s712 (80 laps)10 Rafael Sperafico (Repsol-Meycon), 1min28s804 (29 laps)