Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen has spoken to the media for the first time since the birth of his daughter and has already received lots of good advice
Max Verstappen entered the Formula 1 paddock at the Miami Grand Prix on Friday with a big grin on his face, and it’s no wonder: Verstappen became a father to a daughter a few days ago.
He and his partner Kelly Piquet had initially kept the birth a secret: Red Bull had excused Verstappen from Thursday’s media day, and Verstappen did not travel to Miami until Thursday evening – he had “luckily spent a few days” with his young family, he said in an interview with ESPN.
Verstappen describes the birth itself as a “great” experience and says: “You never really know what to expect, but it was very beautiful and something very special.”
Good advice for the young father
And now congratulations are pouring in for Verstappen and Piquet from all sides. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, himself a father of three, said: “Get ready for sleepless nights and early mornings, and make sure you get involved in changing diapers – that’s mandatory.” Verstappen simply replied: “It’ll all work out.”
But what about the motorsport “wisdom” that a racing driver loses some of his speed with every child? Sauber driver Nico Hülkenberg gives his Formula 1 colleague Verstappen the all-clear: “I think everyone is different, of course, but I can only speak for myself, and personally I don’t feel that’s the case.”
A racing driver simply blocks out everything else in the race car. “We are so focused and have the urge to perform and get the most out of it,” explains Hülkenberg.
Hülkenberg does not feel held back
If anything, having a child is not a disadvantage, but an “additional advantage,” he says. His daughter has given him “so much” outside of Formula 1, and that has also helped him “in a way” with racing. However, Hülkenberg does not go into further detail at this point.
He simply welcomes Verstappen to the Formula 1 fathers’ club: “Since Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen left at the end of last year, I was the only father in the field, which was a funny fact. Now Max is also part of this circle.”
And maybe the spark will even jump over to the next generation? Team boss Horner can well imagine it: “I’ve been involved with horses a lot in recent years. It’s all about bloodlines.”
Verstappen’s daughter combines the DNA of a four-time Formula 1 world champion with the Piquet family, where her new grandfather Nelson Piquet also won three world titles. “That makes seven titles in total,” says Horner. “Those are not bad starting conditions.”
