Max Verstappen says the idea that becoming a father might change him as a racing driver is “silly”.
His partner Kelly Piquet gave birth to their first child, Lily, ahead of this weekend’s race. Verstappen has faced many questions about his daughter since then, but said he pays no heed to suggestions that drivers who become fathers can start to lose their competitive edge.
“I don’t really listen to these kinds of silly things,” he said. “I just do my thing.
“I think there are enough racing drivers in the past that have been world champion even after having kids. So I don’t even know where that comes from.”
Verstappen arrived late to Miami so he could spend time with his family, but did not miss any track sessions. He took pole position for today’s race.
“It’s been good to be able to spend a few days at home before coming here,” he said. “When she’s just born, you want to make sure everything is okay.
“Clearly it didn’t make me slower as well, being a dad. So that’s the positive. We can throw that out of the window as well for people mentioning it.”
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free
“I’m in contact a lot with my girlfriend throughout the day,” he added, “getting pictures and FaceTime a bit, it’s always there. But now one more member in the family.”
Piquet is the daughter of three-times world champion Nelson Piquet and Verstappen is the son of two racers, Jos Verstappen and Sophie-Marie Kumpen. Verstappen’s team principal Christian Horner pointed out “the genes of that child are quite incredible.”
“When you think of Verstappen and Piquet – if it was a racehorse, it’d be worth a fortune! But yeah, it’s going to make life a little different for him.”
Miss nothing from RaceFans
Get a daily email with all our latest stories – and nothing else. No marketing, no ads. Sign up here:
2025 Miami Grand Prix
Browse all 2025 Miami Grand Prix articles
News
