Auto123.com - Helping you drive happy

F1: Nelson Piquet wanted son to race for Toro Rosso in 2009

|
Obtain the best financial rate for your car loan at Automobile En DirectTecnic
Khatir Soltani
From GMM

On Friday, Nelson Piquet Junior's famous father revealed his son would currently be a Toro Rosso driver had he listened to his advice.

Instead, his 23-year-old namesake is out of work having been ousted by Flavio Briatore and then disgraced amid the crash-gate scandal, but Piquet Senior says he had a seat at Red Bull's junior team lined up for 2009.

"It was (Flavio) Briatore who wanted an extension (for 2009)," triple world champion Piquet, who is in the Interlagos paddock this weekend, said during an interview with Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I wanted Nelsinho to leave Renault and had found him a seat at Toro Rosso with Gerhard Berger. But Nelsinho wanted to stay with Renault because there was the chance that Alonso would go to Ferrari," the 57-year-old Brazilian added.



photo:Renault
Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
  • Over 8 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada