Fort Lauderdale, Fla., September 30, 2015 - Racecar driver Nelson Piquet Jr. stopped by the SWATCH FIVB World Tour Finals on Wednesday to check out the action and support the Brazilian players.Piquet Jr. sat in the VIP section and watched Brazil’s
Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara
Seixas play on Center Court. Afterwards, he went down to the Mixed Zone to meet the Brazilian beach volleyball stars. “It was an honor to meet him,” Barbara said. “We were very surprised. We didn’t know he was here until after the match.”Piquet Jr. was the inaugural champion of Formula E, the world’s first fully-electric racing series. He has also raced in NASCAR and Formula One. Piquet Jr. grew up in Brazil, and he now lives in Fort Lauderdale. He played beach volleyball growing up, but not as much as he would have liked since he spent so much time at the racetrack.“Brazilians love volleyball,” Piquet Jr. “Not just beach volleyball but also indoor volleyball.” He is the son of Nelson Piquet, a three-time Formula One world champion who is considered one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time.“His father is a huge star in Brazil, and now he is becoming famous himself,” said Brazil’s Perdo Solberg. “It is great that he is out here supporting us.”Piquet Jr. is excited to watch beach volleyball again at the Rio 2016 Olympics.“It seems like volleyball is growing faster than any other sport in Brazil,” Piquet Jr. said.