Nelson Piquet Jr.
A Brazilian racer who shocked the motorsport world by winning the inaugural Formula E championship, proving electric racing's competitive fire.
Born 1985 (age 41)·Brazilian racing driver·Birthday: July 25·Millennials
Biography
Born into Brazilian racing royalty as the son of three-time Formula One champion Nelson Piquet, Nelson Piquet Jr. carried a heavy name and high expectations from the start. His career path, however, was anything but predictable. After a promising junior career, he landed in Formula One but found his time there defined more by a controversial 'Crashgate' scandal than by podium finishes. Rather than fading away, Piquet reinvented himself in the emerging world of electric racing. With a calculated and consistent driving style, he mastered the unique energy-management demands of Formula E, piloting his car to the series' first-ever championship title in its 2014-15 season. This victory was a pivotal moment, lending instant credibility to the new electric series and reshaping his legacy from a famous son entangled in controversy to a champion in his own right. He later returned to his roots, competing in Brazil's premier Stock Car series.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Nelson was born in 1985, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Nelson Was Born
The biggest hits of 1985
#1 Movie
Back to the Future
Best Picture
Out of Africa
#1 TV Show
Dynasty
Nelson's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1985Born
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1990Started school
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1998Became a teenager
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Could drive
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2003Could vote
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2006Turned 21
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2015Turned 30
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 40
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 41 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the inaugural Formula E Drivers' Championship in the 2014-15 season for the NEXTEV TCR team.
- Secured the first Formula E victory for a Brazilian driver at the 2015 Moscow ePrix.
- Competed in 28 Formula One Grands Prix for the Renault and HRT teams between 2008 and 2009.
- Earned multiple podium finishes in the GP2 Series, finishing as championship runner-up in 2006.
Did You Know?
He is fluent in four languages: Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Italian.
His full name, Nelson Ângelo Tamsma Piquet Souto Maior, incorporates surnames from both his father and his Dutch-born mother.
He was a test driver for the Renault F1 team that won the 2005 and 2006 Constructors' Championships.
He competed in the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway, finishing 13th.
“In Formula E, you have to think a lot more. It's like a chess game on wheels.”
