Formula One news

Piquet pushing on with job in hand

The future of Nelson Piquet's Formula One career continued to remain in limbo as the Renault team arrived at the Hungaroring on Thursday. Continuously rumoured to be no part of the French outfit's plans for 2010, 'Nelsinho' has explained how a 'conflict of egos' risked his drive over the weekend of the German Grand Prix.

Piquet walks the Hungaroring on Thursday

With team-mate Fernando Alonso strongly linked with Ferrari for next year and Piquet's own future also undecided, an all-new Renault line-up could be possible for next season. "It's not one hundred percent settled," said Nelson. "That is why I am going to do my job and let my father do the rest.

"There was a bit of a mess at the last race but I knew there was a big chance for me to be here - there was just conflict and contracts and a conflict of egos between a few people but it ended up with everything working well. The problem is that, these days, a contract in F1 doesn't mean much - we have seen several cases already of drivers and teams breaking contracts and it just stays that way, so the only thing I can do is drive, do my best and leave my father to do his job and see what he can do."

Nelson enjoyed a strong Grand Prix weekend on his way to sixth place in Hungary last year

Generally out-performed by double World Champion team-mate Fernando Alonso on the track and under pressure for his role in the team when off it, Piquet's 2009 season has been one full of frustrations. "I have been facing this kind of situation since last year," he continued. "It's not something new for me - in this level of motorsport you need to know how to deal with it; we are in the top level of motorsport and drivers need to know how to deal with these pressures and that kind of thing."

The 23-year-old admits that he feels for the current World Champion after the politics involved in the McLaren team during the 2007 season. "I would say that dealing with what Lewis was dealing with at the end of his first season, when fighting for the championship, must have been even harder than what I am going through," Piquet commented. "This is only part of the stress of motorsport - Lewis must have been through much more stress than I am at the moment. You need to know how to deal with these kinds of things."

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