Three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet began taking a driving education course yesterday in Brazil after having his licence revoked for racking up too many traffic violations.

Piquet, one of just three Brazilians to win the F1 world championship, lost his licence in June after receiving a slew of speeding and parking tickets. His wife, Viviane, also had her licence taken away for bad driving and joined her husband in the mandatory driver awareness course.

"I think we have to pay for our mistakes," Piquet, 54, said.

"It's not even just a speeding problem. I got tickets for all kinds of reasons, for things like parking where I shouldn't."

Piquet and his wife, whose 21-year-old son is a test car driver for the Renault F1 team, will have to attend 30 hours of classes over eight days and pass an exam before regaining their licences.

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