Piquet: If Alonso was at Lotus he would win the championship
21 August, 2012
While making his name in NASCAR, Nelson Piquet Jnr. still has interesting opinions about the F1 scene
Aug.21 (GMM) Nelson Piquet Jr. has slammed the driver lineup of his last Formula One employers, and claimed that his former Renault teammate Fernando Alonso would win the world championship with the Lotus E20.
Scoring just 19 points in his 28 races for the works Renault team in 2008 and 2009, the 27-year-old Brazilian turned to NASCAR racing after leaving F1 amid the ‘crashgate’ scandal.
Enstone based Renault is now Genii-owned, and known as Lotus, and while Piquet says the black and gold E20 is a “very good car”, he evidently has no admiration for the men at the wheel.
His main target is Romain Grosjean, the Swiss-born Frenchman who in 2009 was drafted in by Renault to replace him.
“Romain has been lucky,” said Piquet Jnr, “because he came [back] at a time when he had a slightly weaker teammate [Kimi Raikkonen] and a very good car.
“It happened for him in the right team at the right time,” he told the Terra website. Piquet added: “If Fernando [Alonso] was at Lotus, he would win the championship.”
“Grosjean has improved, but he is no phenomenon and certainly not comparable to Alonso. He had the luck to return to F1 after a bad start and another season in GP2 – he had a sponsor to return to F1, right? The timing was just right for him,” added Piquet.
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Piquet is not analytical
He is young, but not so young
Cann he learn.
Thats the big problem
Maby already to late
Why does anyone even interview this little whiner? Kimi destroyed this guy in 2007 and won the championship and he also came second twice. Once because of an unreliable car and the other time he lost by two points in a second rate car. If Kimi stays motivated he will be tough to beat.
Only a fool would bet against Alonso winning another championship before he retires.
Jnr will always be remembered for bringing shame to the sport & to his famous fathers name.
His just trying to be controversial with his comments, he’s the one that cannot beat Alonso even in same machinery. Nothing more that a Kid with a rich & famous father. =)
@Erich You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.
Alonso fans should be grateful he is not driving Lotus this season, you’d be missing a lot of hair due to Lotuses pit-stops and strategy compare to Ferrari.
Hungary was the only time it really clicked for them, but that was due to Kimi executing it perfectly.
Sorry guys, but Alonso will not win any more Championships, his 2005 counts as his 2010 and 2012
I will not eat chocolate for a week if he wins!!!!
)
Like Europeans are all fit… He’s probably not working out as much as he did for F1, that’s all.
Did you see how fat Nelsino is? Didn’t recognize him at first. Obviously, he’s fallen into the American diet.
I do not belive.
Lets see, wat happens with Ferrari.
Nascar is suitable for Piquet, because there You have to turn stearing wheel only left.
As much as you guys dog on him, Piquet is absolutely correct. Alonso would have run away with the championship if he had a car like the Lotus. Kimi’s not there just yet, but he will be.
In fact, I think Kimi wins SPA, he’s always good there.
At least he knows how good Alonso is…Lotus might have won races if Flavio was still there yes!
Easy to talk NP. Your points scoring prove how …. you are..
The car might be good, but Lotus strategy is always slower than their competitors. It’s their unwillingness to take risk that costs them, not the drivers. Kimi has been scoring in each race, except China, where he couldn’t find his tyre supplier. I bet if Piquet make a similar comeback into F1, he wouldn’t match Kimi’s achievement right now. Kimi’s return to F1 is one of the most successful comeback so far. If he’s not a good driver, how can he manage that? Of course, Piquet has his own rights to be critical, but would the audience really weigh in the credibility of the crash kid? You be the judge.
Of course people will accuse Nelson of sour grapes, and rightly so, but he is also telling the truth.
Lotus unbelievably felt “happy” with a 2-3 finish at Bahrain when Kimi was finally let past by Grosjean after 9 laps and it was too late for him to catch Vettel, which I’m sure he would have. Grosjean had nothing to lose, he would have been 3rd regardless.
Grosjean has shown his great speed, but it is usually displayed from the back, after an accident that is usually his fault. Australia and Monaco were surely his “blunders of the year” so far.
Kimi has always had speed, but not sure about craft, and we never really know how comitted he is to the cause. I know he hates coming 2nd, but for how long does it really bother him?
I think Vettel, Lewis or Alonso could win in that car (with a better strategist too). Drivers tend to stand out a lot more when the car is known to be a bit on the poor side. Michael did the same at Ferrari in 1996 when the car was diabolical. No doubt Fernando is the best driver in the world but it might not have worked out the same way in a Lotus this year. Adversity and a love for Ferrari have brought out a supreme season from an already supreme driver.
A rat who rats on his team and now trying to save face
Piquet is right.
Poor looser. Very bad taste. Get a life Piquet let your driving do the talking
envious man talking bad thing about his replacement, its not surprise me. i think he still losser and he has nothing to perform in Formula 1.
Piquet still salty! haha