Red Bull reveals Kelly Piquet connection over Max Verstappen’s media day absence at Miami GP

Max Verstappen will miss the media day at the Miami GP this weekend with his long-time girlfriend Kelly Piquet being the reason behind his absence.

Red Bull reveals Kelly Piquet connection over Max Verstappen’s media day absence at Miami GP

Max Verstappen and pregnant Kelly Piquet (via @kellypiquet/Instagram)

Max Verstappen is set to miss the Miami GP media day due to a huge personal milestone in his life. The Dutchman is expecting a child with his long-time girlfriend, Kelly Piquet. The pregnancy was announced in the final stages of the 2024 season. Now, despite an ongoing race weekend, Verstappen will accompany Piquet as she is expected to deliver the baby over the weekend. Red Bull issued a public statement and revealed more details about the 27-year-old’s upcoming baby.

During the build-up to the Miami GP, Max Verstappen was found to be more absent from social media than normal. Moreover, the Dutchman’s newly decked-out private jet did not take off from Nice in France, hinting at something cooking in the background. This meant that Verstappen was spending time with Kelly Piquet during her final stages of pregnancy, as she is expected to deliver a baby anytime now.

Red Bull clarified the situation and did not reveal many private details on Max Verstappen’s time with Piquet. The team revealed that the Dutchman’s reason for absence on media day was purely due to him embracing fatherhood soon. Milton Keynes added that the 27-year-old is on track to attend the practice sessions on Friday and get up to speed at the exhilarating circuit of Miami.

Max will not be attending media day in Miami as he is expecting a baby. All is well and he will attend track tomorrow for the race weekend.

Red Bull said in a public statement

Red Bull also states that they have no further information to add regarding Verstappen’s absence. The team did not reveal any personal details or information regarding the delivery of the child. The reason for this is that Milton Keynes wants to respect the privacy of the 27-year-old during a very intimate moment in his life.

We will not be offering any further comment at this time in respect towards the privacy of Max and his family.

Red Bull’s statement added

Max Verstappen is set to become an amazing father, not only because of his heartwarming personality but also due to his love as a ‘bonus dad’ towards Piquet’s daughter Penelope. The Red Bull star has shown that he is ready to put his F1 duties in the backburner to ensure he stays with Kelly Piquet during this crucial period.

Max Verstappen anticipates ‘hectic’ time at Miami GP

Max Verstappen’s performance at the Miami GP has remained strong as he has achieved two race wins and a P2 finish in his three outings. The Dutchman was on par to win the 2024 Miami GP if it weren’t for a collision with the bollard midway through the race. This year might be even more difficult for Verstappen due to Red Bull’s performance struggles. Expectedly, the 27-year-old anticipates a hectic race weekend, more so due to his girlfriend’s pregnancy.

Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase (via Red Bull Content Pool)
Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase (via Red Bull Content Pool)

Verstappen highlights that the Sprint weekend of the Miami GP is always hectic. Moreover, the 27-year-old has a particular liking for the interesting circuit of the Miami International Autodrome. The Dutchman also funnily recalled his blunder of the previous season, where he crashed into a bollard and potentially sabotaged his own race win. As such, he now hopes not to replicate the same performance as last year and remain a strong contender to win this time around.

It was nice to have a weekend off racing as we head into a busy weekend in Miami! The sprint weekend here is always quite hectic and there is always lot going on. It is an interesting circuit and features a range of low and high-speed corners and off-camber sections. I’m looking forward to racing in Miami, there is always a spectacle and a great atmosphere with the fans. And hopefully we avoid any bollards this year!

Max Verstappen said, as reported by Verstappen.com

Verstappen might find it difficult to focus on racing as well as his family, which is about receiving a massive new edition of a little kid. Still, the Dutchman has reassured time and again that he would manage both responsibilities well. Time will tell about how being a father turns out for the 27-year-old as he heads into an amazing new chapter of his life with Kelly Piquet.

Also Read: Sebastian Vettel breaks silence on potentially replacing Helmut Marko at Red Bull