Moreno: Piquet should still be in F1!

Roberto Moreno - the man affectionately referred to in the motorsport world as 'Super-sub' - bucks the general trend by arguing that 'Singapore-gate' protagonist Nelsinho Piquet still deserves to be racing in F1

Nelsinho Piquet should still be in F1 as he has more to offer the top flight -♉ that is the opinion of Roberto Moreno, who partnered the yoꦬung Brazilian's father Nelson Piquet at a Flavio Briatore-led Benetton back in 1990 and 1991.

Piquet Jnr left F1 with his tail between his legs last year to pursue a 'second career' of sorts in NASCAR circles across the Pond. His ignominious departure from the sport which he had strived to reach for most of his adult life - and in which he lasted less than 30 grands prix - came after he was unceremoniously boo🐓ted out of Renault midway th𒈔rough the 2009 campaign for a lack of performance, though Piquet himself has always maintained that he was never given an equal opportunity to do so.

What followed was particularly unpleasant, as the 24-year-old and his three-time world champion father went on to blow the whistle on one of the most scandalous examples of cheating in sporting history, by informing governing body the FIA of a conspiracy in which Nelsinho was instructed by then Renault F1 managing director Briatore to deliberately crash out of the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix in 2008, to enable te☂am-mate Fernando Alonso to triumph from a disadvantaged grid position.

The fall-out was spectacular, and some opined that his actions had rendered Lewis Hamilton's former GP2 Series sparring partner and title challenger 'unemployable' at the highest level. However, Piquet has 🔥since admitted that he did have options to remain in F1 into 2010 - most likely, it would seem, with either troubled newcomer Campos Meta 1 or else Force India - before ultimately deciding to draw a line under the whole period of his career and instead commit to Red Horse Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, for whom he had tested late last year. A lost talent, Moreno contends.

"I think Nelsinho should have stayed in Formula 1," the former Champ Car race-winner - affectionately dubbed 'Super-sub' within the paddock - told mahbx.com Radio. "I think he still h🍨asn't done as much as he could in Formula 1. I hope he misses it and comes back again, because he is still young enough to do it - but if he doesn't, he's going to have a great 𝕴time in the US.

"NASCAR💝 is very different, a great world, a lovely country and lovely racing - and once you get used to it, it's fantastic. He'll probably have a lot of fun there. I love NASCAR and I love America ♐- but I think at his age, Nelsinho still had a lot to do in Formula 1.

"I don't like to see the way he left the scene; I thought it was unjust that Briatore fired him. It's just a shame that he trained for his whole career to gꦡet to F1, and 🍌then got involved in a scenario in which he could not perform."

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