His father is three-times Formula One world champion Brazilian Nelson Piquet, and his half-brother Nelson Piquet jun is a former Formula One driver-turned-truck racer.
But Pedro says he races for himself these days.
''I did get a push from my family to get involved with racing, and when I was younger there was pressure to perform because of my name. But now I race because I want to and I don't feel any pressure,'' Pedro said.
Pedro, who began racing karts at 8, is in New Zealand to make the step up to single-seater ''wings and slicks'' open car racing in the Toyota Racing Series.
He is one of 23 young drivers from 13 countries contesting an intensive programme of 15 races over five weeks, starting with round one this weekend, at Invercargill's Teretonga Park.
Nelson Piquet (61) has financed his son's New Zealand campaign and is travelling with him.
He said yesterday Pedro would get a ''good start'' in New Zealand.
''The competition is good, and best of all it is vacation time in Brazil so Pedro doesn't lose any school. Also, 15 races in five weeks is good learning for him very quickly.''
The Piquets arrived in Invercargill by private jet earlier in the week and Pedro has spent the past few days trialling the New Zealand-supplied Team M2 car he will race for the first time today. Driving the car was ''really strange'' at first, Pedro said.
''It was different from the practice cars I was driving. The steering is very sensitive,'' he said, saying he had run off the Teretonga track once during practice sessions.
His aim was to finish every race and complete the series in the top six.
''You have to finish. If you finish you get points, but if you don't finish you don't get any points.''
Nelson Piquet has seven children, five of them boys. Four of the boys race, which he said was not surprising.
''We are a family into speed - cars, speed boats, motorbikes. Only my youngest boy, who is 13, isn't into racing. He doesn't like cars or noise or speed. I tell him he was born into the wrong family.''
Nelson Piquet said he was not concerned by Pedro's elevation to open cars, which can reach speeds of 235kmh.
''I don't worry about him. Motor racing is a very safe sport. Look at [seven times Formula One world champion] Michael Schumacher. You can be injured skiing.''
(Schumacher was yesterday still in critical condition in a French hospital, after falling and hitting his head on a rock while skiing on December 28.)
Nelson Piquet said motor racing had taught him everything he knew about teamwork, organisation, time management and co-operating with others - skills he had been able to take with him into the business world when he retired from racing 21 years ago.
''Motor sport is good learning for life. It will be good learning for Pedro, too.''
He said he wanted to see Pedro do well, although he thought he might be ''too clever and too nice'' to be a racing driver.
''Is he talented? We'll see. He's just starting. But it is not important that he wins, it is more important that he is happy.''
