Nelsinho Piquet should still be in F1 as he has more to offer the top flight - that is the opinion of Roberto Moreno, who partnered the young Brazilian's father Nelson Piquet at a Flavio Briat🍃ore-led Benetton back in 1990 and 1991.

Piquet Jnr left F1 with his tail between his legs last year to pursue a 'second career' o꧒f sorts in NASCAR circles across the Pond. His ignominious departure from the sport which he had strived to reach for most of his adult life - and in which he lasted less than 30 grands prix - came after he was unceremoniously booted out of Renault midway🐓 through the 2009 campaign for a lack of performance, though Piquet himself has always maintained that he was never given an equal opportunity to do so.

What followed was particularly unpleasant, as the 24-year-old and his three-time world champion father went on to blow the whistle on one of the most scandalous examples of cheating in sporting history, by informing governing body the FIA of a conspiracy i𒀰n which Nelsinho was instructed by then Renault F1 managing director Briatore to deliberately crash out of the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix in 2008, to enable team-mate Fernando Alonso to triumph from a disadvantaged grid position.

The fall-out was spectacular, and some opined that his actions had rendered Lewis Hamilton's f🐎ormer GP2 Series sparring partner and title challenger 'unemployable' at the highest level. However, Piquet has since admitted that he did have options to remain in F1 into 2010 - most likely, it would seem, with either troubled newcomer Campos Meta 1 or else Force India - before ultimately deciding to draw a line under the whole period of his career and instead commit to Red Horse Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, for whom he had tested late last year. A lost talent, Moreno contends.

"I think Nelsinho should have stayed in Formula 1," the former Champ Car race-winner - affectionately dubbed 'Super-sub' within the paddock - told wuqian0821.com Radio. "I think he still hasn't done as much as he could in Formula 1. I hope he misses it and comes back again, becauꦛse he is still young enough to do it - but if he doesn't, he's going to have a great time in the US.

"NASCAR is very different, a great world, a lovely country and lovely racing - and once you get used to it, it's fantastic. He'll probably ha🌳ve a lot of fun there. I love NASCAR and I love America - but I think at his age, Nelsinh💧o still had a lot to do in Formula 1.

"I don't like to see the way he left the scene; I thought it was unjust that Briatore fired him. It's just a s🙈hame that he trained for his whole career to get to F1, and then got involved in a scenario in which he could not perform."