GFC pulled the financial rug from underneath Mikkelsen’s father and chief benefactor, yet being forced to start over in the lower rally categories won Andreas the hearts of Norwegian rally fans and strengthened his resolve upon returning to the premier category.
Piquet too had made crucial headway by winning his first oval race in 2012. The following year he graduated to the second-tier Nationwide truck series, but again his career halted, making only one other appearance in the premier Sprint Cup series before making a full-time switch the Global RallyCross championship in 2014.
One could be view Piquet’s ‘category hopping’ as the sign of a distracted soul, lacking the discipline to refine his craft. Yet Nelson was merely circumnavigating his way back onto the centre stage – all the while amassing a mental armoury that
- if not existent – lay dormant during his brief Formula One career. If Piquet’s rivals still underestimated him, then fine. All the better to launch a surprise attack.
Once again Piquet found himself plunged into single-seaters in the inaugural Formula E Championship with China Racing; a team seeking to firmly establish itself on the world stage by becoming the country’s first to win an FIA sanctioned world championship. An undeniably lofty ambition.
In a Putrajaya hotel breakfast lounge (scene of the second round of the Formula E Championship), I was briefly introduced to Nelson via his then teammate, Ho-Pin Tung. Glancing at my press pass there were still signs of reticence from Piquet, as if the scars of Singapore were still a little raw when dealing with members of the press. But it wasn’t long before the driver who nudged Lewis Hamilton within an
inch of the 2006 GP2 tile began to re-emerge, rejuvenated and renovated.
This was none more evident than during his impervious display at the Long Beach and Moscow rounds. Managing his power (one of the key factors for success in this category) is one of the hallmarks of a great driver (in any category) and more akin to the efficiency of – dare I say it - Alain Prost, than his father.
Even more remarkable was the ease of which Nelson’s executed strategy – often from the cockpit – to devastating effect, leaving his rivals scratching their collective heads.
It is amazing what a nurturing environment can do for a driver’s confidence; when they turn to you for direction. Such habitats, believe it or not, yield results compared to the oppressive, threatening approach employed by Flavio
Briatore over Piquet at Renault. It is a method every team principal should take note of.
Nelson 2.0 was even happy to engage in a bit of trash-talk with title rival (and fellow Brazilian) Lucas di Grassi. The histrionics between the two often bordered on pantomime levels usually reserved for BTCC, but it showed that Piquet was a shrinking violet no more and could back up his braggadocio with performance on track.
He would need that performance at the final race at Battersea. Starting back in 14th position (due to an unexpected wet qualifying), Nelson had is work cut out to retain any hope of securing his championship.
If I am honest, Nelson looked and sounded like a man already half-accepting defeat, yet something kicked in once the visor
Image: FIA FORMULA E