Pedro Piquet, son of three-time Formula 1 World Champion Nelson Piquet and brother of NASCAR and Global Rallycross driver Nelson Piquet Jr, will make his rallycross debut this weekend as he competes in the Global Rallycross Lites championship at the Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, New York City. Driving the #5 Autotrac car for the Piquet Sports GRC Lites Team, 16-year-old Pedro’s driving duties will support the main Red Bull Global Rallycross Supercar championship, in which Nelson Piquet Jr is racing full time with SH Racing.
The Lites class features tightly controlled spec vehicles, which have been built by OlsbergsMSE, and produce 310 horsepower from naturally aspirated 2.4 litre engines and feature all-wheel drive and sequential gearboxes. Pedro’s weekend will kick off with practice onSaturday 19 July, followed by qualifying and the first round of heats. Sunday 20 July will see the second round of heats following by last chance qualifying and the final race ahead of the GRC supercar final.
“I’m looking forward to my experience in Global Rallycross. It will be my first time competing in a ‘closed car’, as my experience so far has been in open wheel racing, and also my first time driving on mixed surfaces. I think it will be really positive to increase my experience of learning car control and develop my handling skills. My father has encouraged me and said it will be a good learning experience.”
Pedro began karting at a young age, winning the Brazil Cup at the age of eight. He went on to win three Brazilian karting championships and made his car debut in January this year at 15, when he competed in selected rounds of the New Zealand-based Toyota Racing Series. 
He made his F3 debut in April in the Brazilian F3 Championship and made history by taking pole position and winning both races in the opening weekend of the brand new series. From 14 races in cars (eight in F3), Pedro has scored five race wins, seven podiums and three pole positions and is currently leading the Brazilian F3 Championship.
