Former F1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr, who is reportedly planning a comeback to Macau, has been barred from joining the European Formula 3 race at the French circuit of Pau.
Piquet Jr, who is the son of three time F1 championship winner Nelson Piquet, originally planned to fill the Carlin seat vacated by Raoul Hyman. The Brazilian was however vetoed by the FIA Single-Seater Commission on the grounds of his experience.
The ruling could also apply to the end-of-season event in Macau, according to Motorsport.com. The event has seen numerous older drivers in recent years make a return to F3 on a one-off basis.
Nelson Piquet Jr
European Formula 3 frontrunner George Russel commented that he hopes that the veto doesn’t apply to Macau, as racing against experienced drivers is part of the event’s appeal.
“I’d be quite disappointed,” said Russel when he was asked how he would feel if drivers like Piquet Jr were prevented from racing in the city.
“It’s almost what Macau’s all about, and I would love more top names to come to Macau this year and race against the guys who’ve done F3 all season,” the Hitech Grand Prix driver said. “It also gives F3 a bit more publicity and interest, and if the young guys end up beating them, it’s even better for their careers – so it gives you a little extra motivation to go out there and do well.”
Although Russel admitted that he would have wanted to race against Piquet, he clarified that he understood FIA’s decision to stop him from racing at Pau.
“I can see it from both sides,” said Russell. “I do think it’s wrong that a driver with no intention of contesting the championship could be allowed to impact the result of the championship. There’s always the risk they could get involved in an incident, which costs another driver a lot of money. On the other hand, I would have loved to have raced against him, and to see how he would have got on against us F3 guys,” he explained.
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