Brazilians Zonta and Nelson Piquet Jr to Test

By Renault F1
September 6 2006

Ricardo Zonta and Nelson Piquet Jr will take over the testing roles for the Renault F1 team for the coming 2007 season. Ricardo Zonta has made the switch from Toyota to Renault while Nelson Piquet Jr has made a switch of series from A1 to F1

The race drivers will be joined by a team of test drivers for the 2007 season, composed of Brazilians Ricardo Zonta and Nelson Piquet Jr.

Ricardo Zonta, 30, possesses eight seasons of Formula 1 experience, both as a race and test driver. His proven track record, combined with extensive technical knowledge, will be major assets in the development of the 2007 challenger and its adaptation to the new tyre regulations. He will join the Renault F1 Team after four seasons at Toyota.

Nelson Piquet Jr., 21, has marked himself out as man of the future during the 2005 A1 Grand Prix and 2006 GP2 Series championships. Son of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet, Nelsinho has shown both speed and guile in GP2, taking four race wins and five pole positions so far to put him second in the championship, with two races remaining. His role with the Renault F1 Team will allow him to develop his credentials in motorsport’s leading discipline.

Flavio Briatore commented: “Everybody at Renault is very optimistic about our driver line-up for 2007 and beyond. We have taken the conscious decision to build for the future, without compromising the stability of the team in the short term. Giancarlo is a proven force in Formula 1 and Heikki is already fully integrated into the team. After seeing performances in testing this season, we have very high hopes for him. It is also a pleasure to welcome Ricardo and Nelsinho, who each bring different qualities to the team: Ricardo will have a key role to play in preparing for 2007, while Nelsinho has shown this year that he deserves his place in Formula 1. 2007 is the start of something new for Renault, and we believe it will be an exciting season.”