Formula 1 star arrives in Dubai

The Brazilian will be firing up all cylinders of his Formula 1 car for the Renault Roadshow, which takes off over the weekend at the waterfront promenade in Downtown Burj Dubai.

Piquet took to the podium at a press conference at The Address Downtown Burj Dubai, which overlooks the specially designed demonstration platform on the waterfront. He was joined at the media event by FIA Vice President for Sport, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, 14 times Middle East Rally champion, along with Romain Grosjean, ING Renault F1 Team's third and 2008 GP2 Asia Series Champion.

Stunt drivers Terry Grant, Julien Piguet and Nicolas Navarro were also in attendance and after the press conference had concluded, the drivers demonstrated some of the skills that mark out those who participate in the most demanding of motorsports activity, F1 racing. The F1 drivers will be enthralling audiences with their performances throughout Saturday, as well.

"It's great to arrive in Dubai and to be part of a team that is bringing Formula 1 to this city for the first time. I particularly enjoy these events, as I get to show people the fun side of Formula 1 and the capabilities of my Renault car without having to worry about the pressures of a Grand Prix weekend,"

said Nelson Piquet, just before the conference got under way.

Nelson Piquet and Romain Grosjean's F1 demonstrations will be a central component of the Roadshow, which also features Renault production sports vehicles performing tyre burnouts, power slides, donuts and other tricks. Complementing the drive line-up will be ING Renault F1 Team demonstration driver Adam Khan and the stunt drivers. The waterfront promenade will also be home to a paddock and a Renault Village that will host various activities for this event which is free to the public.

Ben Sulayem, who is patronising the event, has taken part in a number of supporting motorsports activities, including a desert run behind the wheel of the Renault Formula 1 car. "The performance of the F1 car took my breath away," said Ben Sulayem. "I am used to being in control of high performance vehicles, but this is like nothing I've experienced before. With the open cockpit in the F1 car, you definitely feel more exposed," he said.

The Renault Roadshow was conceived in 2003 and has visited 18 cities since. Dubai is the first stop in the 2009 itinerary and it then moves on to the capitals Bucharest, Moscow and Algiers.

The other three venues will doubtless prove to be exciting events, but Dubai can stake its claim as the first and only city to host the event on a platform built over a lagoon. For their part, Nelson Piquet and Romain Grosjean will be flying off to Shanghai after their visit to Dubai for the next round of the 2009 F1 Grand Prix season.

"If I have helped to raise the profile of Renault and F1 by being here, then I am very happy," remarked Nelson Piquet at the conference. "I have to admit that this is a stunning venue to showcase our sport and what Renault can do. The world's tallest building, Burj Dubai, is an amazing backdrop, and quite a match for the world's fastest cars," he added.