12/18/24
August 01, 2007
Former racing champ loses driving license: Three-time Formula One champion Nelson Piquet began taking a driving education course on Monday in Brazil after having his license revoked for racking up too many traffic violations, local media reported.
posted by commander cody to auto racing at 01:23 AM - 5 comments
Can't these guys keep it on the track? Mostly, no. Piquet does mention that it wasn't just speeding that got his license revoked. He also frequently parks in the handicapped spot. The old bugger is still looking good. I remember he had one nasty crash in practice at Indy after his F1 career. He's lucky he can still walk, let alone drive.
posted by qbert72 at 11:08 AM on August 01, 2007
I remember reading Emerson Fittipaldi's autobiography a few years ago. In that, he said that because of the idiots on the road he was more scared driving around the streets of Rio than on an F1 track. How many of Piquet's offences were related to road rage?
posted by owlhouse at 06:15 PM on August 01, 2007
Piquet destroyed his legs at Indy and was in a wheelchair for some time. He also had a pretty horrendous crash at Imola (at the corner where Senna would die seven years later) that forced him to miss the 1987 San Marino GP. And his son is currently test driver for the Renault team, and was runner up in GP2 last year to a guy named Lewis something or other... :) Nigel Mansell was banned for speeding, and if I recall so was Damon Hill. So world champs getting nailed for breaking the rules of the road isn't unusual. I think this may be the first time a THREE time champion has been done though. You should read the stories from Sid Watkins about riding with Gilles Villeneuve and Ayrton Senna. Eye opening.
posted by Drood at 10:11 PM on August 01, 2007
owlhouse, quite a few top motrbike riders don't ride on the road because they consider it too dangerous. I believe Rossi is one of them.
posted by rodgerd at 02:15 PM on August 02, 2007
Can't these guys keep it on the track? Though I suppose it's better to have an experienced high speed driver speeding on the highway then some of the buffoons one usually sees out there.