Nelson Piquet is a Brazilian retired racing driver and businessman. Since his retirement, Piquet, a three-time World Champion, has been ranked among the greatest Formula One (F1) drivers in various motorsport polls.
His father, Brazilian surgeon Estácio Gonçalves Souto Maior (1913–1974), raised him in Rio de Janeiro, where he was born on August 17, 1952.
When his father relocated to Brasilia in 1960, he became Minister of Health in Joo Goulart’s government (1961–64) and served as a member of the cabinet.
Alexis, Geraldo, and Genusa were Piquet’s siblings. It was Piquet, the eldest of the children, who was born first.
With no encouragement from his father, Piquet began competing in go-kart races at the age of 14. To avoid suspicion, he used his mother’s maiden name of Piquet (of French ancestry and pronounced “Pee-Ké”) misspelled as Piket.
Piquet’s father hoped his son would pursue a career in professional tennis, and as a result, a scholarship was granted to an Atlanta-area institution. The 11-year-old Piquet began competing in tennis tournaments.
He won events in Brazil, then traveled to California to compete against more experienced American players.
Is Nelson Piquet related to Max Verstappen?
No, Nelson Piquet has not related in any way to Max Verstappen. When speaking to reporters in advance of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, Verstappen defended Kelly Piquet’s reputation while stating that her father’s statements were “not right.” Kelly Piquet is Verstappen’s partner, and Nelson Piquet is her father.
Max is a Belgian-Dutch racing driver and the 2021 Formula One World Champion. He is a member of the Red Bull Racing team and races in Formula One under the Dutch flag. He is Jos Verstappen’s son, who drove for his father in Formula One in the past.
At the age of 17 years and 166 days, he became the youngest driver to ever compete in Formula One at the Australian Grand Prix in 2015. This made him the youngest driver in the history of the sport.
