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First there was Damon Hill, then Jacques Villeneuve, later followed by Nico Rosberg, Christian Jones and Matthias Lauda… all sons of legendary racers, even though Gilles (Villeneuve) never got to win the World Championship.
The latest 'son of a famous father' is Nelson Piquet Jr, son of three-time World Champion, and (seemingly) last of the playboy racers, Nelson Piquet.
Born in Germany, and raised by his Dutch mother in Monaco, at the age of 8, young Nelson was sent to Brazil in order that he might bond with his father and learn the language. His mother also felt that Junior would enjoy a better quality of life, certainly as a child.
Virtually from the moment he arrived in Brazil, young Nelson was racing, his father's wealth, and good contacts, allowing 'Junior' the best equipment and the luxury of running his own team.
He continued Karting for the next few years, enjoying success, before switching to single-seaters in 2001, when, aged 16, he finished fifth in the South American F3 Championship, despite only contesting half the season.
The following year he contested the full season, this time winning the prestigious championship with four races remaining.
Being 'king pin' in Brazil is one thing, however, if Nelson Junior was to really prove himself he would need to follow the example of so many other great Brazilian drivers, including Ayrton Senna and his own father, he would have to compete at the highest level, in the British F3 Championship.
As in Karting and his Brazilian F3 venture, young Nelson, under the guidance of his father, decided that only one team would have his interest entirely at heart, therefore he established his own F3 team (Piquet Sports) in Britain in order to contest the 2003 Championship.
Despite eight trips to the podium, including five visits to the very top step, Nelson could only manage third, behind Alan van der Merwe and Jamie Green. Later that year, thanks, no doubt, to his father's connection with the team, Nelson Jr got his first taste of F1, when he tested for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team.
In 2004, he remained in British F3, this time winning the series, at 19 years 2 months the youngest driver to do so, courtesy of six wins, seven podiums and five pole positions. He completed his year of victory with further outings in the BMW WilliamsF1 car.
Having 'done the business' in British F3, the next move was obvious, consequently 'Junior' and his Piquet Sports Team contested the inaugural GP2 Series championship.
Despite a win and three further trips to the podium, Nelson could only manage eighth in the championship, losing out to Heikki Kovalainen, Scott Speed, Alexandre Premat, Adam Carroll, Giorgio Pantano and Neel Jani, not to mention inaugural GP2 champion, and another son of a famous father, Nico Rosberg.
However, to make up for the disappointment of GP2, Nelson had a test with the BAR-Honda F1 Team, and took two wins for his country in the inaugural A1 GP Championship.
In the early part of 2006, Nelson continued in A1 GP, however, once the second season of GP2 kicked off it was clear where his attention was really focussed.
The Brazilian fought a season-long duel with Lewis Hamilton, however, despite seizing the initiative, courtesy of a win in the opening round (Valencia), it was the English driver who ultimately came out on top, though the Brazilian gave him a good run for his money.
For 2007, Nelson signed up as test driver for World Champions Renault, what many (rightly) assumed to be his passport to a full race seat in 2008.
The new test rules meant he didn't get that much mileage in the R27, however, when he was needed he was there.
It was clear long before the end of the season that the French team wouldn't be retaining either of its 2007 drivers, though Nelson had to wait until mid-December before being confirmed as teammate to Fernando Alonso, who was returning 'home' following his time with McLaren.
Without doubt, Nelson is fast, he also has World Championship winning blood in his veins. However, there are a couple of question marks against him which Nelson must address.
Firstly, on a number of occasions in 2006 he seemed to 'fall asleep', to lose concentration, thereby losing positions and, ultimately, the championship.
Secondly, some have said that though he has yet to prove himself at the highest level, he is already showing signs of the kind of arrogance that only really befits a World Champion, maybe triple World Champion.
With one rookie teammate having rattled Alonso in 2007, it remains to be seen whether Nelson can come close to repeating the scenario in 2008. The main thing is that the youngster must get to grips with the car from the outset, not repeating Heikki Kovalainen's nightmare GP debut, and not allow himself to be out-psyched by his illustrious teammate.
Statistics - Prior to 2008 Season
Drivers' Titles: 0
Seasons in F1: 0
Grand Prix: 0
Wins: 0
Points: 0
Poles: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
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