In December, Max Verstappen and his partner Kelly Piquet announced they are expecting their first child. There’s an old saying in Formula 1 that drivers slow down once they become fathers. However, Verstappen doesn’t believe that fatherhood will negatively impact his racing performance – the 27-year-old Dutchman is primarily looking forward to becoming a father.
Almost twenty years ago, a young Fernando Alonso overtook his rival Michael Schumacher during the Japanese Grand Prix. A daring maneuver in the notorious 130R corner earned the Spaniard a podium finish. After the race, journalists at Suzuka asked how Alonso knew the action wouldn’t result in a crash. “I knew he (Schumacher) would brake, because he has a wife and two children at home,” he coolly responded.
Looking Forward with Anticipation
It’s not the first time a driver’s courage has been questioned due to starting a family. In Formula 1, there’s a persistent rule of thumb that fatherhood slows a driver down by a few tenths per lap. Max Verstappen, who is expecting his first child with girlfriend Kelly Piquet this year, hopes his racing skills won’t be affected. “Honestly, I hope not much will change,” he said in a conversation with Red Bull. “In terms of driving, it shouldn’t make a difference. It’s certainly an exciting time, but it’s hard to put into words until the baby is actually here. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, previously dismissed the superstition surrounding fatherhood. “I actually think it motivates,” he said to De Telegraaf in December. “I certainly didn’t have any problems with it in the past. Max has known for a while that he’s going to be a father, and it doesn’t seem to affect him at all. Just look at his victory in Brazil. He knew then that he was going to have a child.”
