Formula One news

Piquet no stranger to Sepang

Nelson Piquet has had a disappointing start of his Formula 1 career. The track at Albert Park was a brand new track for Piquet, but the upcoming race this weekend at Sepang will be a track he is already familiar with as he raced at the track when racing for A1 Team Brazil.

In Melbourne the Brazilian failed to finish as his car gave up on him with 28 laps to go. Not the debut race you would wish for. "That is not how I had imagined my first Grand Prix would unfold, but I knew that it would not be easy and I was prepared for it," Piquet said. "I did little running during Friday practice and that complicated things for the rest of the weekend. However, I learned a lot and I now know what a Grand Prix weekend is like - it passes very quickly and you need to be able to get comfortable straight away. I am now looking forward to the next race in Malaysia, so that I can put into practice all that I have learnt from my first race.

Travelling to Kuala Lumpur the 22-year-old will be confident as he travels to a track he has already raced before. "I drove at Sepang in 2005 in A1GP so I therefore know the circuit and I have experienced the extremely high temperatures which we expect in this part of the world. So I think that things will be a little easier this weekend. I will be able to find my feet more quickly and to concentrate on the set-up of my car with the engineers. I hope to be able to push hard and avoid reliving a Grand Prix like I had in Melbourne.

"I hope that I can make more progress. In Melbourne I did little running in practice, my qualifying was disappointing and at the start of the race my car was damaged and I had to retire - it was therefore difficult to make much progress at all. I hope to be in a position in Malaysia to have a strong qualifying session so that I can have a good race and continue my apprenticeship. Each race will be the opportunity for me to learn and progress."

more news

• 09 Jul.
  • Williams to put more focus on 2008 car
  • Photos: Wednesday in Hockenheim
  • Reliable start for Renault
• 08 Jul.
  • Toyota happy with first day
  • Productive day for Force India
  • Hamilton fastest at Hockenheim
  • Coulthard prefers Vettel as his successor
  • McLaren introduces shark fin
  • Team begin three-day test at Hockenheim
  • Photos: Tuesday in Hockenheim
  • Di Montezemolo: No more mistakes!
• 07 Jul.
  • Hockenheim expects to be sold out
  • Ecclestone: Donington is Britain's last chance
  • Hamilton to join DTM event at Brands Hatch
  • Whitmarsh impressed by Hamilton's cool performance
  • Brawn: Rubens could have finished second
  • Ferrari: A race to forget as quickly as possible
• 06 Jul.
  • Raikkonen: We could have won
  • Disappointing result for Piquet
  • Dennis: Lewis mastered the treacherous conditions
  • Kovalainen faced difficult race
  • Hamilton's toughest and best race
  • Mixed feelings at BMW Sauber
  • Hamilton dominates home Grand Prix
  • Photos: Sunday at Silverstone
  • Donington will be renovated in time for British Grand Prix
  • Dennis: Kovalainen's pole well deserved
  • Button prays for rain
  • Horner enjoys team's first front row
• 05 Jul.
  • Coulthard disappointed with eleventh
  • Fisichella missed out on Q2
  • Difficult qualifying session for Williams
  • Webber surprised to be in front row
  • Toyota missed out on top ten
  • Maiden pole position for Kovalainen
  • Live: British Grand Prix 1st free practice
  • Frank Williams glad British Grand Prix is saved
  • Alonso fastest at drying track
  • Photos: Saturday at Silverstone
• 04 Jul.
  • Alonso's engine problem didn't surprise the team

Homepage