British GP: A Nearly Home Race for Piquet

The pressure has eased a notch since the Spanish Grand Prix, but the results are still not forthcoming for Nelson Piquet. The Brazilian must overcome this burden on his shoulders to score his first championship points, for instance, at the upcoming British Grand Prix. Firstly, only three other drivers have yet to open their account, and secondly, Renault needs these points to compete on equal terms with McLaren, Williams, or even Ferrari.

Piquet will also take advantage of the fact that he lives in England to consider this race as a home event, which could help him shine in front of his many fans and supporters.

Nelson, you didn’t have much success in Turkey. Tell us about the race…

« It was a complicated weekend and my destiny was more or less determined during the qualifying session, with the brake problems I encountered. We then chose a strategy based on possible race scenarios. However, we knew it would be difficult to score points given our position on the starting grid. Nevertheless, I was able to take away some positive elements from the weekend: I had a very balanced car and had some enjoyable battles, notably making a nice overtake on Lewis [Hamilton] at the end of the straight. »

As a driver, in which areas do you think you can improve your performance after seven races?

« First of all, it is certain that I need to improve my performance during the qualifying session because starting far back on the grid harms my race. The problem is that the teams are so close to each other that they all fight at the same level: only two tenths of a second can separate the sixth from the sixteenth car on the grid, so we cannot afford any mistakes. »

What are your expectations for Silverstone?

I really, really like this circuit and I hope we can achieve a good result there. It’s the home race for the Enstone team and we always enjoy strong support there. The British fans are very enthusiastic. As I’ve been living in Great Britain for five years now, it’s almost a home Grand Prix for me too. Silverstone is a track where I raced early in my career. I know it well. And, as I’ve already said, the qualifying session will be crucial, especially since the fast corners of this circuit make overtaking difficult during the race.

According to a statement from Renault F1 Team