 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Pakutanga kwemwaka wa1980, motokari yaPiquet yakawana mapoinzi inoguma paArgentinauye South African Grand Prix, shure kwaAlan Jones Williams FW07-DFV uye turbocharged Renault RE20 yaRené Arnoux. Mujaho wechina wemwaka, United States Grand Prix West, Piquet akakwanisa pa pole kweanopfuura wechipiri muBT49 inoratidzira zvimwe zvekuvandudza kumativi, muviri uye kusimiswa, asati atungamira mujaho, wakaitirwa mumigwagwa yeLong Beach, California, kubva pakutanga kusvika pakupedzisira. BT49s mumaoko aPiquet akawana zvibodzwa mumatanho manomwe kubva pagumi akasara mumakwikwi. Pakupera kwemwaka, kuturika kwakagadziridzwa kweDutch Grand Prix paCircuit Park Zandvoort, ichirebesa wheelbase nemasendimita matatu uye ichibvumira mota kumhanya mune yakaderera drag configuration. Piquet akakunda pashure pokunge Jones aparadza magumbeze eFW07 yake pamakombi. Piquet akakundawo mujaho unotevera, uyo waakazvipawo nzvimbo imwe chete pamusoro pemutyairi weWilliams Jones. Pakupera kwemwaka, BT49 yaive inogona kunge iri mota inomhanyisa yeCosworth-powered, asi Piquet akarasikirwa nemutambo kuna Jones pamutambo wekupedzisira wegore, iyo, apo injini yekuvandudza yakatadza paakanga achitungamira mujaho. MaBT49 anotyairwa nevatyairi vechipiri vechikwata Zunino uyezve kubva pakati pemwaka weMexico Héctor Rebaque akaenda pamudyandigere kana kupedzisa kunze kwemapoinzi, kunze kwenzvimbo yechitanhatu yaRebaque mujaho weCanada. Chikwata chakapedza chechitatu mumakwikwi evagadziri kuseri kwaWilliams naLigier, vasingakwanise kukwikwidza nemotokari imwe chete yekuwana mapoinzi. 