Tough learning curve for Nelsinho

Nelson Piquet Jr admits life in Formula One's fast lane hasn't gone exactly how he imagined it would.

The Renault rookie retired due to technical problems in Melbourne and finished 11th in Malaysia.

However, the Brazilian says he is happy to be in Formula One despite his poor start.

"Without a doubt, Formula One is a lot harder than I imagined," the 22-year-old was quoted by Spanish paper El Mundo.

"Everything goes so fast. Training, classification, appointments with the press, the race... You go from one side to the next at high velocity.

"And you always have to be perfect: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

"The results haven't been great, but I'm happy to be here, in F1.

Piquet Jr also paid tribute to his team-mate Fernando Alonso.

"He's been very good with me. He's been a great team-mate," Piquet Jr said.