SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Three-time Formula One champion Nelson Piquet began taking a driving education course on Monday in Brazil after having his license revoked for racking up too many traffic violations, local media reported.
Piquet, one of just three Brazilians to win the Formula One world championship, lost his license in June after receiving a slew of speeding and parking tickets. His wife, Viviane, also had her license taken away for bad driving and joined her husband in the mandatory driver awareness course.
"I think we have to pay for our mistakes," Piquet, 54, told local news agency G1. "It's not even just a speeding problem. I got tickets for all kinds of reasons, for things like parking where I shouldn't."
Piquet and his wife, whose 21-year-old son is an up-and-coming test car driver for the Renault Formula One team, will have to attend 30 hours of classes over eight days and pass an exam before regaining their licenses.
Piquet is one of the best-known race car drivers to come out of Brazil, having won the Formula One championship in 1981, 1983 and 1987.



For pictures of him in the classroom: http://www.reuters.com/article/oddly...1?feedType=RSS

 

not just any racing champ. This is Nelson Piquet, a 3 time F1 champion!!

Great story and I am glad he is taking it like a man. I doubt it will change his driving habits one bit. He is basically a god in Brazil.

 

No brain control over emotional impulses.
Apparently, his career was run by emotions more than discipline.

 

A little known fact about Piquet. Back in the day, he owned a red RX-7 R1 (FD) just like the one I used own. The man knows his sports cars and this was in the early 90's when he was still actively racing.

Sadly, he didn't keep his RX-7 for very long, stating that it was too fragile.