Nelson Piquet at speed, 1981 Belgian GP, Zolder with team mate Hector Rebaque in the background.
1981 was the year he was the world champion for the first of three times.
Nelson Piquet was an instant star when he appeared in British F3 in 1978 and was quickly signed by by the Martini Brabham Alfa Romeo team in 1979 to partner double world champion Niki Lauda after team mate John Watson had signed for McLaren.
Piquet soon prooved as fast as Lauda and when the Austrian retired (fir the first time...) before the season's end, took over as team No.1. He ran Alan Jones close for the 1980 world F1 title, winning several races and becoming emobroiled in a war of words with the Australian rather akin to later spats he had with Mansell and Senna! In 1981 with the Brabham BT49 Cosworth he brilliantly won the first of three world titles. The second came in 1983 with the new BMW Turbo powered Brabham and the third in 1987 after he had left the team to join Williams Honda.
Intended to be the team leader at Williams in 1986 he found the on-form Nigel Mans ell anything but easy to cope with. In fact Mansell out drove him more often than not although Nigel suffered a suspiciously high number of mechancical failures and cock-ups by the team (loose wheels etc). In 1987 the fact Honda preferred Pquet to Mansell became a bit too obvious and while the Brit almost always proved the faster on track he lost out in the team politics and suffered ever more 'mechanical problems' while Piquet drove serenely and rather effortlessly to regular points scoring finishes.
AUTOSPORT were even minded to comment after Piquet had a win fall neatly into his lap with little apparent effort "At this rate the world championship will win Nelson Piquet" and it did! He won the title after Mansell crashed in practice at Suzuka and injured his back.
Joining Lotus in 1988 (where there were already Honda engines) Piquet enjoyed little success, he moved to Benetton in the early 90s and with team mate an good friend Roberto Moreno did revive his career somewhat before Michael Schumacher appeared in the team and Nelson headed off to the indy 500 where a massive leg breaking accident ended his glittering front line career. He went on to manage the career of his son Nelson Jr
10x7 inch (254x178mm)
