Top Ten Formula One Drivers, 6; Nelson Piquet

• Season Points Av. 34


• Best Championship Finishes. 1st (x3), 2nd, 3rd (x2)


• Average Constructor Placing over Career. 3.6


• 23 wins from 24 poles

Often not in the number one package on the grid, Piquet stayed too long at Brabham when the car had lost pace and reliability, and moved to the declining Lotus after a world title win at Williams. However, Piquet was a triple world champion, twice in the Brabham. In 1980 he won 3 races and finished in the points 10 times. In 1981 the top five in the championship were separated by 7 points, and whilst Reutemann or a Renault should have drove home their advantage, Piquet showed himself the consummate racer to take his 1st title. After a poor 1982 only lifted by a good win in Canada, Piquet won again in 1983. Renault and Ferrari were fastest taking 11/15 poles, and not just by their first drivers. However, Piquet won 3 to Prost's 5, and Arnoux's 3 to take a canny 2nd title. 1984 marked a big disappointment with 9 poles, but only 2 wins, and despite a race win 1985 proved worse. In 1986 Piquet joined Mansell at Williams, losing out to Mansell by 1 point to finish 3rd. After losing to Mansell in Britain at the halfway point Piquet was never again beaten in the points by his rival that season. When they both finished in the points the score for who finished higher stood equal at 4-4. In 1987 he showed his racing ability again, rarely outscoring Mansell (the tally this year being 5-3 to Mansell) when both finished in the points, but taking the title comfortably, albeit helped by Mansell being injured in the penultimate race weekend. It could be argued Mansell slightly had the better of Piquet in their time together and should be here instead, however winning is important, and the ability to take 3 world titles cannot be sniffed at. And despite what some saw as Mansell's domination over Piquet, after their 2 years together it was the Brazilian who left as World Champion. An unsuccessful 2 years at Lotus did little for his career, though he fared better in the 1990 Benetton matching young gun Nannini before his career ending injury. The arrival of Schumacher at Benetton ended his career, but his years with Mansell and Nannini had showed he could compete with an equal driver, even if he didn't like to.