Piquet - I was offered F1 drive

FullMetalJack · Post by **FullMetalJack** » 19 Jan 2010, 20:31

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12433_5871541,00.html

In the words of James Hunt, I think that's bulls**t. Do any of you believe this story?

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 19 Jan 2010, 20:40

I don't, really, at least not the way he puts it. I can sort of buy that one of the teams might have enquired about the size of the chequebook he is carrying, but not that it was a definitive offer.

Besides, if you had an offer and didn't took it, what there to brag about?

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 19 Jan 2010, 20:45

I think the offer was Campos - once they realised they couldn't be picky about drivers due to the fact they're probably not even going to make the first race.

ADx_Wales · Post by **ADx_Wales** » 19 Jan 2010, 20:50

Signing Piquet Jnr for your team is worse than sleeping with Madonna.

Your going to feel guilty doing it
But you will get press attention.

eytl · Post by **eytl** » 19 Jan 2010, 20:54

Wait, wait, I hear something ...

Yep, the publicocrapometer just went through the roof.

shinji · Post by **shinji** » 19 Jan 2010, 20:57

eytl wrote:Wait, wait, I hear something ...

Yep, the publicocrapometer just went through the roof.

Finally we have a reason for the lack of airtime the poor publicocrapometer gets.#

Surely repeated journeys through a roof can't be good for such a running joke/sound effect?

Anyhoo, yes, Piquet is seriously deluded if he ever thought someone would seriously contemplate employing him to drive in F1 ever again.

Alianora La Canta · Post by **Alianora La Canta** » 19 Jan 2010, 21:42

I reckon it went something along the lines of "Nelson, you can drive for us... ...if you bring about €80m (i.e. the entire year's budget)." At which point Nelson would have realised that he was never going to negotiate that down to anything sensible and it was really an elaborate way of the team telling him "no". That would have been implied proof of politics and reason in his eyes to brag about NASCAR.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 19 Jan 2010, 23:38

You know, I didn't like Piquet in the first place, because he was far too arrogant for one whose talent is so questionable, but his vindictiveness since Crashgate has brought out a really horrible side to him.

Not only was his revealing of the whole fiasco been the most clear-cut case of vindictiveness I have ever seen, but now that his career in anywhere other than America is practically over, he's trying snub the entire F1 paddock, by basically saying, "Well, you don't want me? Fine! NASCAR's better than you losers anyway! Nyah nyah! :evil:

", thus ruining whatever little chance he had left of making any sort of comeback.

Just go to America already, Nelson, and keep your bloody trap shut - you're giving us all a headache.

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 19 Jan 2010, 23:46

I like the way he is non-specific about it all. When he moved to NASCAR, he addressed his fans (all three of them) on his official website in such a way that it looked like he was leaving Formula 1 of his own choice. These comments are no doubt intended to make it look like the same thing: that he left of his own accord, not that he was driven out. Because given the way he pursued a race seat, you'd expect him to take whatever was offered.

CasinoSquare · Post by **CasinoSquare** » 20 Jan 2010, 00:27

Maybe due to the overbearing nature of someone else (for it cannot have been his fault) he thought he was signing for Toyota F1 rather than Red Horse Toyota Trucks or more probably;

"At the time of negotiations i was in a very fragile state of mind. This state was brought by the intense stress caused by those big mean Nascar boys asking me to squeal like a pig. Mr Red Horse repeatedly asked me to sign a "contract" although at no stage was it made clear that i would be expected to actually drive for them."

Hmm, i feel i have gone over a line somewhere...

Cynon · Post by **Cynon** » 20 Jan 2010, 02:14

Nelson Piquet has obviously been taking lessons from Kyle Busch -- he is trying convince people that he is a better driver than he really is. However unlike Kyle Busch, nobody takes Piquet seriously -- not even people as arrogant as he is.

LukeB · Post by **LukeB** » 20 Jan 2010, 02:23

How long will it take him to start blameing other NASCAR drivers for their "rookie" mistakes?
The point the man went from merely my favourite F1 punching bag to the man I most loathed in the paddock was when he bitched about Buemis "rookie" mistake in Monaco. Coming from Piquet of all people, a man that didn't deserve a second season, it was an appalling display of arrogance. Now we know how he managed to keep his seat it just seems pathetic.

The only thing he was offered to drive in F1 was a hamburger van.

deCrasheris · Post by **deCrasheris** » 20 Jan 2010, 04:19

Cynon wrote:Nelson Piquet has obviously been taking lessons from Kyle Busch -- he is trying convince people that he is a better driver than he really is. However unlike Kyle Busch, nobody takes Piquet seriously -- not even people as arrogant as he is.

Agreed.I can't wait to see the ARCA race at Daytona which he's now entered just to see his interview after he crashes out blaming Frank Kimmel for being inexperienced :lol:

. It's going to fun seeing him, Milk and Doughnuts, Danicamania, and perhaps Narain Karthikayian all involved in the ARCA crashfest. :mrgreen:

bduddy · Post by **bduddy** » 20 Jan 2010, 05:57

deCrasheris wrote:
Cynon wrote:Nelson Piquet has obviously been taking lessons from Kyle Busch -- he is trying convince people that he is a better driver than he really is. However unlike Kyle Busch, nobody takes Piquet seriously -- not even people as arrogant as he is.

Agreed.I can't wait to see the ARCA race at Daytona which he's now entered just to see his interview after he crashes out blaming Frank Kimmel for being inexperienced . It's going to fun seeing him, Milk and Doughnuts, Danicamania, and perhaps Narain Karthikayian all involved in the ARCA crashfest.

Don't forget Nur Ali... and there are tons of non-big name, but just as "talented", crashers at every ARCA race.

Cynon · Post by **Cynon** » 20 Jan 2010, 06:58

bduddy wrote:
deCrasheris wrote:
Cynon wrote:Nelson Piquet has obviously been taking lessons from Kyle Busch -- he is trying convince people that he is a better driver than he really is. However unlike Kyle Busch, nobody takes Piquet seriously -- not even people as arrogant as he is.

Agreed.I can't wait to see the ARCA race at Daytona which he's now entered just to see his interview after he crashes out blaming Frank Kimmel for being inexperienced . It's going to fun seeing him, Milk and Doughnuts, Danicamania, and perhaps Narain Karthikayian all involved in the ARCA crashfest.
Don't forget Nur Ali... and there are tons of non-big name, but just as "talented", crashers at every ARCA race.

All it needs is Erin "My-Luck-Is-So-Bad-It-Makes-Mark-Webber's-Look-Good" Crocker in the field to get wrecked by someone and pile up the whole field and Ricky Stenhouse (he of I Tried to Wreck Scott Speed For the ARCA Title and Get Away With It fame ((if you look at the ticker you'll see Nur Ali was in the race))), Michael Simko (he of Dropkick Through the Windshield fame), and John Wes Townley (more commonly called John Crash Townley, for being as talented as Yuji Ide).

madcat · Post by **madcat** » 20 Jan 2010, 07:56

He's just trying to save face.I never liked the dad when he was around either. I don't like this generation of drivers that have the dad's hanging around them all the time, Piquet, Hamilton, Button.

You always wonder if some "famous named" drivers would have got the same opportunities if it wasn't for their name? Would he have got to F1 in the first place if he was Nelson Silva?

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 20 Jan 2010, 09:07

madcat wrote:He's just trying to save face.I never liked the dad when he was around either. I don't like this generation of drivers that have the dad's hanging around them all the time, Piquet, Hamilton, Button.

You always wonder if some "famous named" drivers would have got the same opportunities if it wasn't for their name? Would he have got to F1 in the first place if he was Nelson Silva?

Here's an excellent point. What the hell are Ham's, Button's and Massa's dads doing there? I mean, I can understand if the wife or something is around, but the father? OK, most of them are their children's agents, but you never used to see this much of Willy Webber, neither do you see Nicolas Todt.

Collieafc · Post by **Collieafc** » 20 Jan 2010, 09:36

madcat wrote:He's just trying to save face.I never liked the dad when he was around either. I don't like this generation of drivers that have the dad's hanging around them all the time, Piquet, Hamilton, Button.

You always wonder if some "famous named" drivers would have got the same opportunities if it wasn't for their name? Would he have got to F1 in the first place if he was Nelson Silva?

Thats a good point. F1 is elitist enough as it is, the last thing it needs is only being open to those whose parents were once in F1

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 20 Jan 2010, 12:20

CarlosFerreira wrote:Here's an excellent point. What the hell are Ham's, Button's and Massa's dads doing there? I mean, I can understand if the wife or something is around, but the father? OK, most of them are their children's agents, but you never used to see this much of Willy Webber, neither do you see Nicolas Todt.

Hey, if I were an F1 driver, I'd want my dad hanging around. He's the only one in my family besides me who is motorsport-mad. He'd be the one who would understand what I did the best.

madcat · Post by **madcat** » 20 Jan 2010, 12:24

Maybe it's just a reflection on the average age of the drivers. "2020 - Piquet the third gets pole position just in time before he needs his nappy changed..."

F1 drivers were normally much older crazy bunch with death being fairly common. Nowadays drivers are young athletes.

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 20 Jan 2010, 12:55

Captain Hammer wrote:
CarlosFerreira wrote:Here's an excellent point. What the hell are Ham's, Button's and Massa's dads doing there? I mean, I can understand if the wife or something is around, but the father? OK, most of them are their children's agents, but you never used to see this much of Willy Webber, neither do you see Nicolas Todt.

Hey, if I were an F1 driver, I'd want my dad hanging around. He's the only one in my family besides me who is motorsport-mad. He'd be the one who would understand what I did the best.

I suppose it messes the system up a bit. You're too emotionally dependent. Besides, there's all the thing with fulfilling parents' expectations... nah, I reckon it's probably for the best if family isn't around. Among other things, it forces drivers to build relationships within the team, instead of relying on someone outside the nut-and-bolts people.

Post by **mario** » 20 Jan 2010, 16:55

eytl wrote:Wait, wait, I hear something ...

Yep, the publicocrapometer just went through the roof.

Damn it, now I'll be sweeping up cogs for days. Still, this does like Piquet trying to get back at a paddock which has probably turned it's back on him, unless the stories about him talking with Campos were not quite as far off the mark as was once thought.
All in all, though, it is a very sorry tale - a once promising talent (after all, he did reasonably well in GP2) now thoroughly burnt out and crashing back to earth, his reputation torn to shreds by his own misdeeds and yet still arrogant enough to not admit that he only acted out of his own greed and fear.

On a side note:

CarlosFerreira wrote:
Captain Hammer wrote:
CarlosFerreira wrote:Here's an excellent point. What the hell are Ham's, Button's and Massa's dads doing there? I mean, I can understand if the wife or something is around, but the father? OK, most of them are their children's agents, but you never used to see this much of Willy Webber, neither do you see Nicolas Todt.

Hey, if I were an F1 driver, I'd want my dad hanging around. He's the only one in my family besides me who is motorsport-mad. He'd be the one who would understand what I did the best.

I suppose it messes the system up a bit. You're too emotionally dependent. Besides, there's all the thing with fulfilling parents' expectations... nah, I reckon it's probably for the best if family isn't around. Among other things, it forces drivers to build relationships within the team, instead of relying on someone outside the nut-and-bolts people.

The issue of parents being present is a thorny one. After all, many parents are there to give support, especially since in many cases they had to made hard choices along the way. Massa talked in an interview about how his dad would do multiple jobs to get enough to pay for his junior races, and gave him a huge amount of emotional support along the way. Kubica's dad would drive him across the whole of Europe for his competitions, whilst up until the point that Hamilton won support from McLaren, his dad was having to scrape together money from various jobs to make ends meet.
So, having done so much to get them into F1, those same parents will want to be there with them through thick and thin. I appreciate that they could be a disruptive force in the garage, and that perhaps it would be best if they stayed away. That said, our good old friend Murray Walker was once asked about that for a short film for the BBC, and replied that 'if [the drivers] want their dad's there, then they should be allowed to be there, and why should we decide otherwise'.

UPRC · Post by **UPRC** » 20 Jan 2010, 18:12

Haha, what team would want him? He was probably asked to drive the safety car, instead.

On second thought... That would be a VERY bad idea....

Phoenix · Post by **Phoenix** » 20 Jan 2010, 18:33

UPRC wrote:Haha, what team would want him? He was probably asked to drive the safety car, instead.

On second thought... That would be a VERY bad idea....

Yeah...

Perhaps in the end USF1 will end up getiing him. They look like needing the money and like don't caring about getting a disgraced driver.

TeamTipper · Post by **TeamTipper** » 20 Jan 2010, 19:55

Why is he saying that he has had offers for F1? How old is he? 25? Personally he wont cope in Nascar. They wont trust him. Which race team in any series can trust him?
Piquet is using his Dads name to get somewhere cause his talent will leave him nowhere. Oh wait it did lol.

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 20 Jan 2010, 23:05

TeamTipper wrote:Why is he saying that he has had offers for F1?

Because he wants to make it look like leaving Formula 1 was his choice, rather than him being forced out because no-one wated him.

SuperAguri · Post by **SuperAguri** » 21 Jan 2010, 00:26

I am sure he was driving a taxi, which happened to have a team boss in it and they said "F***ing Idiot DRIVE!"

Yannick · Post by **Yannick** » 21 Jan 2010, 11:02

The Reject Of the Year Award winning Nelsinho will be starting for Eddie Sharp Racing at the ARCA round in Daytona, which is the same team that Scott Speed raced with during his year in ARCA. Speed came 3rd in the series standings if I recall correctly.

Other notable entries from open wheel racing making their Stock Car debuts in that race include 2009's best placed US American driver in the IndyCar Series standings, Danica Patrick, and Citgo Princess and IRL Lady Driver Milka Duno. So it'll be a great race to watch for F1 Rejects - and to cover as part of the next Offseason podcast.
Here's hoping you can watch this from Australia!

coops · Post by **coops** » 21 Jan 2010, 11:25

I think you're all being very harsh on the poor-little-rich-kid-who-never-needs-to-work-anyway.

To be fair he didnt say what he was asked to drive. Perhaps there was someone at Interlagos who needed someone to drive the grass-cutter.

Collieafc · Post by **Collieafc** » 21 Jan 2010, 13:40

coops wrote:To be fair he didnt say what he was asked to drive. Perhaps there was someone at Interlagos who needed someone to drive the grass-cutter.

Are you saying that Piquet Jr is Forrest Gump?

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 21 Jan 2010, 13:46

Collieafc wrote:
coops wrote:To be fair he didnt say what he was asked to drive. Perhaps there was someone at Interlagos who needed someone to drive the grass-cutter.

Are you saying that Piquet Jr is Forrest Gump?

No, Forrest Gump was way cooler than Piquet. They asked Piquet to man the grass-cutter only after FG left.

Phoenix · Post by **Phoenix** » 21 Jan 2010, 14:44

CarlosFerreira wrote:
Collieafc wrote:
coops wrote:To be fair he didnt say what he was asked to drive. Perhaps there was someone at Interlagos who needed someone to drive the grass-cutter.

Are you saying that Piquet Jr is Forrest Gump?

No, Forrest Gump was way cooler than Piquet. They asked Piquet to man the grass-cutter only after FG left.

No, because they thought for a while and decided it was better to offer the mower drive to me instead...

shinji · Post by **shinji** » 21 Jan 2010, 14:56

Collieafc wrote:
coops wrote:To be fair he didnt say what he was asked to drive. Perhaps there was someone at Interlagos who needed someone to drive the grass-cutter.

Are you saying that Piquet Jr is Forrest Gump?

Run Nelson Run!

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 21 Jan 2010, 15:04

Phoenix wrote:No, because they thought for a while and decided it was better to offer the mower drive to me instead...

Actually - RUN, EVERYONE, RUN!

Phoenix · Post by **Phoenix** » 21 Jan 2010, 15:09

CarlosFerreira wrote:
Phoenix wrote:No, because they thought for a while and decided it was better to offer the mower drive to me instead...

Actually - RUN, EVERYONE, RUN!

Are you suggesting something about my mower driving style?

Debaser · Post by **Debaser** » 21 Jan 2010, 16:24

Its probably a Forrest Gump reference, there's a famous scene where the girl shouts "Run Forrest run!!! Run Forrest run!!!". I dobut its an affront on your lawnmower driving style.

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 21 Jan 2010, 16:37

Debaser wrote:Its probably a Forrest Gump reference, there's a famous scene where the girl shouts "Run Forrest run!!! Run Forrest run!!!". I dobut its an affront on your lawnmower driving style.

It was the two things... :lol:

Popi_Larrauri · Post by **Popi_Larrauri** » 21 Jan 2010, 17:24

I got only TWO words for this thread...

HA... HA... HA...

DonTirri · Post by **DonTirri** » 21 Jan 2010, 18:54

Popi_Larrauri wrote:I got only TWO words for this thread...

HA... HA... HA...

Thats actually one word, and even if you count it more than once, its three words.

I got two words for ya... !

Phoenix · Post by **Phoenix** » 21 Jan 2010, 19:33

Popi_Larrauri wrote:I got only TWO words for this thread...

HA... HA... HA...

Only for this thread?

CarlosFerreira wrote:
Debaser wrote:Its probably a Forrest Gump reference, there's a famous scene where the girl shouts "Run Forrest run!!! Run Forrest run!!!". I dobut its an affront on your lawnmower driving style.

It was the two things...

Damn you!