Nelson Piquet Jr. is refusing to give up in his fight to enter the prestigious Macau Formula 3 round later this year despite having his attempt to race in Pau blocked by the FIA in May.
Ex-Formula 1 driver and defending Formula E champion Piquet announced in May that he would be making a one-off appearance in the FIA European F3 Championship event at Pau in France with Carlin.
However, upon arrival at Pau, Piquet was informed that the FIA had blocked his entry, believing it defeated the object of a junior championship.
“I was shocked, absolutely shocked,” Piquet told NBC Sports.
“I was on the plane, arriving there, everything was normal. We landed, I turned my phone on… This can’t be true. I was so, so pissed off. I didn’t even go to the track. I landed, got a car and went straight back to Monaco, I was so upset.
“The team, they spent the money, they brought the car all the way down and everything. For the FIA to say no two days before the race… Still, I don’t agree with it.
“I spoke to most of the teams, most of the teams were OK with me doing it. And then they told me that wasn’t true, that most of the teams were against me racing. So I don’t know.
“Everybody was looking forward to it: the fans, the journalists, the media. I wasn’t there for money. I was there purely because I like that race, I wanted to do it, and we found a solution with Trevor [Carlin]. Plus that would have allowed me to do Macau.
“There’s not much I can say. I’m upset about it. I won’t give up.
“I’ll maybe do Macau if the FIA allows me. We’ll see.”
When asked if he thought the FIA would change its mind, Piquet said: “I don’t know. I have no idea what they’re thinking.”
Piquet announced last week that he would be returning to the NASCAR Xfinity Series next month at Mid-Ohio, and also remains open to entering IndyCar on a full-time basis should the right seat become available.