The best of Nelson Piquet – Gallery

One of the most interesting World Champions Formula One has known, Nelson Piquet was an intelligent driver, a complex character and a true racer.

Brazilian Formula One racer Nelson Piquet is often remembered for his interesting off-track remarks, however it was his skill and cunning on track which earned him fantastic success.

The three time Formula One World Champion made his debut with Ensign at the 1978 German Grand Prix, finished his first race a few rounds later at the Italian GP in a McLaren M23 (BS Fabrications), and stood on the podium for the first time following the 1980 Argentine Grand Prix.

By 1980 he was racing with Parmalat and their iconic Brabham BT49, which he drove to a trio of Formula One Grand Prix victories, and a pair of additional podium finishes before the season was done. He finished second in the World Championship by a considerable margin behind Alan Jones, however his momentum was incredible. He returned with Parmalat in 1981 and became Formula One World Champion for the first time, and achievement he would repeat whilst driving for Fila in 1983 (Brabham), and Camel in 1987 (Williams).

Formula One remembers him as a clever racer and a private playboy. Today, he’s a businessman.

Take a look at the remainder of the gallery here:

This is the latest in our series of  photo specials showcasing the stunning images from the Cahier Archive. The collection, by photographers Bernard Cahier and his son Paul-Henri are part of a massive collection of 400 000 originals of which 17 000+ pictures are currently available on their website.

Images: TheCahierArchive©