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[Hanwombat]

As I have stated on another topic, IF Nelson is signed for 2009 I WILL EAT MY ARM

Piquet may have had a sub-par season, but you have to remember that this is his first season in the sport with very little experience driving a Formula 1 car prior to it. You can blame the FIA for that. There should be far more testing and development opportunities for younger drivers to get to grips with the sport whilst they are in a testing role for a Formula 1 team. Nelson was great in GP2 and I find it hard to believe that his ability has just disappeared overnight.

Still would eat my arm

SUTILL would eat your arm?!!

Maybe I misread that slightly

get off SUTIL pleaseeee

[Hanwombat]

As I have stated on another topic, IF Nelson is signed for 2009 I WILL EAT MY ARM

Renault Announce Piquet's contract is renewed for 2009

Source=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71020

I'd best get munching

[Denthúl]

I still don't get why everyone is raving on about Piquet yet overlooking the fact that, aside from running fourth at Monaco, Sutil has done nothing this season...

[Hanwombat]

Forget Nelson, Adrian

Its all about Timo

[7UpJordan]

Sutil's done quite a fair bit, being a thorn in the side for Ferrari this year.

[Hanwombat]

Ferrari do like to seem nearly OR hitting Adrian

[vintage]

Piquet may have had a sub-par season, but you have to remember that this is his first season in the sport with very little experience driving a Formula 1 car prior to it. You can blame the FIA for that. There should be far more testing and development opportunities for younger drivers to get to grips with the sport whilst they are in a testing role for a Formula 1 team. Nelson was great in GP2 and I find it hard to believe that his ability has just disappeared overnight.

exactly. piquet is talented but its his first time out. renault is not that good this season like their past ones so its not like he is screwing up a team like ferrari.(pit lane incidents seem to do that job) i think just give him time and if he still does bad in upcoming seasons, then ill say he sucks.

[nikon133]

No one else find the timing of Alonsos pitstop and Piquets crash a little suspicious?

I can see Flavio (some others as well) devising such plan if, say, Alonso is in position to win championship and this is the last, deciding race... but just to have one win in the whole championship, well, no.

However, he desperately wants to keep Alonso in Renault, and showing they can win is a big deal in that case, so... hrm... nah.

[Richieling]

How can you guys actually think that Nelson is talented? He had most of the season to improve his season but his lap times were just ridiculous... Not forgetting that he is driving a Renault and not a Force India car....I have noticed him since the very first A1 GP race that he won and he was braggin about switching over to F1...

I bet Adrien Sutil will do better than him in a renault...

I'm surprised Flavio is still keeping him in the team.

[McLaren Fan]

From autosport.com:

Lucas di Grassi has emerged as the leading contender to replace Nelson Piquet at Renault next year if the French car manufacturer decide to drop the Formula One rookie, autosport.com has learned.

Although Piquet has scored one podium finish with a fortunate second place in the German Grand Prix, he has been unable to find the pace to match the team's number one driver Fernando Alonso.

Piquet did not help his cause when he crashed out of the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend - although ironically his error played a key part in helping Alonso triumph.

Sources close to the team claim that Piquet has not done enough to justify a second season with the team, and his situation was not helped when di Grassi impressed Renault with a solid three-day run during the recent Jerez test.

It is understood di Grassi not only did well in terms of his overall speed in Jerez but also shone in the swift way he got up to speed, as well as his positive attitude towards the team.

Renault boss Flavio Briatore is currently considering what to do about his 2009 driver line-up, although any final decision does depend on whether Fernando Alonso decides the stay with the team.

Sources have revealed that Briatore has already offered Piquet to Scuderia Toro Rosso for next year, but it is understood the team are not interested unless there is a big financial incentive.

If Toro Rosso do not take up the offer, then Piquet could well be consigned to just a test driver role next year.

[darwin dali]

If Toro Rosso do not take up the offer, then Piquet could well be consigned to just a test driver role next year.[/i]

Probably the best thing to happen to him - get some experience as test driver.

[Denthúl]

If Toro Rosso do not take up the offer, then Piquet could well be consigned to just a test driver role next year.[/i]

Probably the best thing to happen to him - get some experience as test driver.

There lies the problem, though. He spent 2006 as a test driver but, as I pointed out earlier, the FIA restrictions on testing mileage mean that test drivers don't spend nearly enough time on track for them to develop properly.

[EwanM]

WOOPS! Sorry Chris, didn't realise you already posted about Di Grassi in here!

Soz

[IceManpjn]

If it wasn't for Nelson, the Singapore GP wouldn't be in such a mess and we could have an potential super close driver's championship race.

I hope Renault will get a new driver to replace him in 2009. NELSON PIQUET really suck!

He didn't cause either of Ferrari's problems Sunday. Anything can happen in this sport at any time, including accidents, so we can't curse him for it any more than we can curse any other drivers for it, and sooner or later they all crash. Kimi's done it, Lewis rear-ended Kimi a while back.... It happens. It still didn't cause the blunder with the fuel rig and didn't drive Kimi into the wall near the end of the race.

[7UpJordan]

The problem with Piquet is that just like his father he needed motivation to do anything worth. Perhaps if Piquet had a team-mate he could exploit and constantly pick on it might help him, but you can imagine he got a good sense of satisfaction when he overtook Alonso at Magny-Bores.