FORUMula1.com

[EwanM]

I agree with Denthul and that is what makes Piquet's plight even more unanswerable. He was competitive in GP2!

[Jamie]

I agree with Denthul and that is what makes Piquet's plight even more unanswerable. He was competitive in GP2!

Because his dad was the boss

[Denthúl]

I agree with Denthul and that is what makes Piquet's plight even more unanswerable. He was competitive in GP2!

Because his dad was the boss

That can't help you much in a spec-series, though. Piquet has a good enough career record to make his Formula One performances perplexing.

[racechick]

Piquet used to beat Hammy in lower sports.

No he didnt.
But he was closer than he is now.

Uh.

In GP2, he beat Hamilton on ten occasions, with Hamilton beating Piquet on eleven (and in the end, overall)...

So Hamilton won But it was close. thats what I said.

Also it was Hamiltons first season, he won first time out. It was Piquets second season. he came 8th in his first season.

No, you said Piquet did not beat Hamilton in lower forms of motorsport, which was factually incorrect.

Ok I wasnt clear, I didnt mean he never beat him in a race, I meant overall. I accept Piquet won races, not championships.As someone else said apart from that one GP2 season they werent up against each other really. I actually liked Piquet in GP2-not as much as Lewis of course but next best. Watched him in A1 as well at Brands. I think its the Renault environment and family pressure that messes with his head

[al4x]

Piquet used to beat Hammy in lower sports.

No he didnt.
But he was closer than he is now.

Uh.

In GP2, he beat Hamilton on ten occasions, with Hamilton beating Piquet on eleven (and in the end, overall)...

So Hamilton won But it was close. thats what I said.

Also it was Hamiltons first season, he won first time out. It was Piquets second season. he came 8th in his first season.

No, you said Piquet did not beat Hamilton in lower forms of motorsport, which was factually incorrect.

Ok I wasnt clear, I didnt mean he never beat him in a race, I meant overall. I accept Piquet won races, not championships.As someone else said apart from that one GP2 season they werent up against each other really. I actually liked Piquet in GP2-not as much as Lewis of course but next best. Watched him in A1 as well at Brands. I think its the Renault environment and family pressure that messes with his head

whatever it is, hamilton is much better now!

[racechick]

Certainly!

[f1ea]

I think its the Renault environment and family pressure that messes with his head

I dont think the environment at Renault is that much worse than the other teams'. More than the environment i think his issue is that the R27/28's have been tough to drive; and being in the midfield so often is extremely difficult, as a lot can go wrong. Just look at Lewis, he can be very good, but when he is not in the front or in the best car its not so straightforward.

Piquet NEEDS to improve Q considerably and soon.

[racechick]

I think its the Renault environment and family pressure that messes with his head

I dont think the environment at Renault is that much worse than the other teams'. More than the environment i think his issue is that the R27/28's have been tough to drive; and being in the midfield so often is extremely difficult, as a lot can go wrong. Just look at Lewis, he can be very good, but when he is not in the front or in the best car its not so straightforward.

Piquet NEEDS to improve Q considerably and soon.

Theres no comparison with lewis and Piquet. lewis puts the McLaren where it shouldnt be but Piquet cant do that with the Renault. Briatore is tough on him(he practically destroyed Heikki before him). he has Alonso as a teammate-no pressure there then.A Champion fatyher and a very pushy mother. I feel for the guy!

[Denthúl]

I think its the Renault environment and family pressure that messes with his head

I dont think the environment at Renault is that much worse than the other teams'. More than the environment i think his issue is that the R27/28's have been tough to drive; and being in the midfield so often is extremely difficult, as a lot can go wrong. Just look at Lewis, he can be very good, but when he is not in the front or in the best car its not so straightforward.

Piquet NEEDS to improve Q considerably and soon.

Really? You just have to look at the two drivers Renault have plucked from GP2 and put in to Formula One. Both of them have suffered psychologically at the hands of Briatore. I consider Kovalainen's season at Renault to have been a pretty good one, considering that the car wasn't great (the podium at Fuji was really spectacular for me), yet Briatore constantly publicly criticised him (even after his first ever race where he finished tenth). I imagine it is even worse for Piquet because he is paired with Alonso.

[headless]

then he needs to take a step back into a lower Formula and accept that's as good as he can achieve.

Step down, to hone his skills and get ready for F1 properley.

I believe if Piquet exits F1 then there will be no way back for him, if he can't make it in 2 1/2 years of F1 I doubt he ever will, but I believe that having second rate equipment hasn't helped matters for the Brazilian. We just have to look at the history; how many former F1 drivers have made it back into F1?

Some have but only when the money mattered a lot more than talent, particularly when Jan Lammers made a comeback for March in the last race of the 1992 season after 10 years away!

Glock in because of money?

[f1ea]

Theres no comparison with lewis and Piquet. lewis puts the McLaren where it shouldnt be but Piquet cant do that with the Renault. Briatore is tough on him(he practically destroyed Heikki before him). he has Alonso as a teammate-no pressure there then.A Champion fatyher and a very pushy mother. I feel for the guy!

I am not comparing Lewis with Piquet, just stating how difficult things become when you dont start on the front row or have the absolute best car.
The thing is I really dont see where Briatore 'destroyed' Heikki, on the contrary: Heikki was doing MUCH better at Renault than he is at Mclaren! If Nelson's family is pushy and he has lots of expectations, it has nothing to do with Renault.

I also feel that Piquet has not been able to do well... but he needs to either improve his Q or improve his consistency. But i think the most important in his case is Q. A good grid position does wonders to the guys' confidence, from then he can go on and work on race consistency.

[racechick]

Theres no comparison with lewis and Piquet. lewis puts the McLaren where it shouldnt be but Piquet cant do that with the Renault. Briatore is tough on him(he practically destroyed Heikki before him). he has Alonso as a teammate-no pressure there then.A Champion fatyher and a very pushy mother. I feel for the guy!

I am not comparing Lewis with Piquet, just stating how difficult things become when you dont start on the front row or have the absolute best car.
The thing is I really dont see where Briatore 'destroyed' Heikki, on the contrary: Heikki was doing MUCH better at Renault than he is at Mclaren! If Nelson's family is pushy and he has lots of expectations, it has nothing to do with Renault.

I also feel that Piquet has not been able to do well... but he needs to either improve his Q or improve his consistency. But i think the most important in his case is Q. A good grid position does wonders to the guys' confidence, from then he can go on and work on race consistency.

McLaren have had to invest a lot of time in rebuliding heikki's confidence post Renault.Yes he was doing better but he didnt have Alonso there then.

[Hexagram]

McLaren have had to invest a lot of time in rebuliding heikki's confidence post Renault.Yes he was doing better but he didnt have Alonso there then.

By giving him the outdated car when upgrades come along and fuelling him consistently heavier than Lewis all last season and also giving him team orders to move aside for Hamilton while statistically he could still win the championship?

Please racechick, McLaren have no more invested time into improving Heikki's confidence as did Renault. He actually finished 2007 on a high note at Renault while last year he finished 2008 very unhappy at McLaren if you recall!

[bud]

and also giving him team orders to move aside for Hamilton while statistically he could still win the championship?

when?

[Hexagram]

and also giving him team orders to move aside for Hamilton while statistically he could still win the championship?

when?

Hockenheimring 2008. Hamilton came up behind Heikki who was told "Hamilton is faster than you Heikki".

In other words, get out of the way.