Originally published August 2, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified August 2, 2007 at 2:02 AM

People in Sports | Piquet takes driving course to regain license

Nelson Piquet: Brazil's former car-racing star needs more than three Formula One titles to be considered a good driver in his native country...

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Nelson Piquet: Brazil's former car-racing star needs more than three Formula One titles to be considered a good driver in his native country.

Piquet — Formula One champion in 1981, '83 and '87 — has to take an intensive driving course after losing his license because of an accumulation of speeding and parking tickets.

The 54-year-old Piquet and his wife, Viviane, exceeded the limit of fines allowed by Brazilian law and must complete an eight-day, 30-hour course to regain their licenses.

"There are several different speeds in several different roads," Piquet told Globo TV. "Sometimes you don't pay attention and you break the speed limit — and you can lose your driver's license in a very fast way."

Piquet, whose 21-year-old son is a test driver for the Renault F1 team, is expected to finish his mandatory awareness course in Brasilia by the end of the week. Despite the hassle, the former champion said this action is necessary.

"I have my driver's license for over 40 years and I have driven in several countries," he said, "but this thing that Brazil is doing, I believe it's the right thing."

The Associated Press

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