LONDON, UK - Defending FIA Formula E champion Nelson Piquet Jr. says he is open to taking part in a full Verizon IndyCar Series season in the future.
Piquet has raced in a variety of championships throughout his career, ranging from Formula 1 and Global Rallycross to Formula E, becoming the latter’s first champion last June.
The Brazilian tested an IndyCar with Penske at Sonoma last summer, but told NBC Sports during Formula E pre-season testing that he was not chasing a full-time seat.
However, ahead of this weekend’s Formula E season two finale in London, Piquet conceded that he would now like to spend a full season in IndyCar with a front-running team if the opportunity arose.
“I tried IndyCar already but I haven’t raced. I would like to do maybe a season with a good team, I think it would be fun,” Piquet told NBC Sports.
“After I came back to open-wheel and after I did this, it’s like it triggered me to do some more open-wheel stuff. So maybe do a season in IndyCar with a good team.”
Piquet previously raced for James ‘Sulli’ Sullivan in Red Bull Global Rallycross, who also runs the KVSH Racing team in IndyCar, the seat currently being occupied by Sebastien Bourdais.
Despite admitting that the number of NASCAR drivers keen to try IndyCar may push him down the pecking order at Penske, Piquet said he is working on getting Sullivan to give him a run-out at some point.
“They have so many drivers. A lot of NASCAR drivers are interested in doing that, so with them, it makes my name go lower down the queue,” Piquet said.
“I have an owner, ‘Sulli’ from KVSH, who was my team owner in rallycross. There’s always that option which Sebastien Bourdais is racing now.
“We’ll see. I’m still trying to convince him slowly to let me do a couple of races. As long as I’m young, fit and healthy, I can do it. I think I still have five years, easily, in which I can do it.
“I’m not in a hurry, just need to find the right time, right moment.”
Piquet deputized for Max Chilton at Carlin in last year’s Indy Lights doubleheader in Toronto, and is open to returning to the series in the future despite it being at a lower level than IndyCar.
“I would like to do a few more of those. Even though it’s a lower series, it’s still fun racing,” Piquet said.
“I would like to do ovals in a single seater and I haven’t done it. I would like to start it on an Indy Lights, and if it goes well, maybe do a couple of normal Indy [oval] races. Maybe the Indy 500.”