Mauricio Gugelmin Brazilian racing driver, participant in the Formula 1 World Championship and the CART racing series. Date of Birth: 20.04.1963 Country: Brazil

1. Nelson Piquet's Early Career
2. Dominance in Junior Formulae
3. Formula 3000 and F1 Debut
4. Breakthrough and Struggles
5. Departure from F1 and CART Career

Nelson Piquet's Early Career

In 1980, the Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet began his racing career by winning the Brazilian Kart Championship. The following year, he moved up to the Formula Fiat series and captured the Brazilian title.

Dominance in Junior Formulae

Piquet's success continued in 1982 when he won the British Formula Ford Championship. Two years later, he triumphed in the European Formula Ford Championship. In 1985, Piquet dominated the British Formula 3 Championship, claiming victories at Zandvoort and Silverstone. He capped off the year with a triumph at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix.

Formula 3000 and F1 Debut

Piquet spent 1986 and 1987 competing in the International Formula 3000 Championship. In 1988, he made his Formula 1 debut with the March team. Despite a challenging start with five retirements in his first six races, Piquet managed to finish fourth at the British Grand Prix. He later secured a fifth-place finish and ended the season in 13th place.

Breakthrough and Struggles

The following year, Piquet claimed a podium finish in the opening race of the season. However, that third place proved to be his only scoring finish in 1989. In 1990, the March team was sold and rebranded as Leyton House. The change did little to improve the car, resulting in Piquet failing to qualify four times and scoring just one point for a sixth-place finish in Belgium. The following year, he scored no points.

Departure from F1 and CART Career

In 1992, Piquet joined the Jordan team but left Formula 1 after another fruitless season. In late 1993, he made three starts in the CART Championship for Dick Simon Racing. Despite disappointing results, Piquet secured a drive with Chip Ganassi Racing in 1994. With 39 points, he finished 16th in the standings. He then moved to the PacWest team, where he raced until the end of his CART career. Piquet's greatest success came in 1997 when he won a race in Vancouver and finished fourth overall in the championship.