Max Verstappen has revealed that daughter Lily makes him prouder than any Formula 1 world championship or Grand Prix victory, describing her as his “greatest treasure” and making clear that family now comes before his achievements on the track.
The four-time world champion rarely speaks in detail about his daughter, making his comments to Formule1.nl a revealing insight into how fatherhood has changed his priorities. Max Verstappen has also repeatedly spoken about the possibility of not remaining in Formula 1 indefinitely, adding further significance to his increasingly family-focused outlook.
Max Verstappen opens up about daughter Lily
Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet welcomed Lily in 2025, adding to a family that already included Penelope, Kelly Piquet’s daughter from her previous relationship with former Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat. Penelope was born in 2019.
Since Lily’s arrival, Max Verstappen has kept much of his family life private. His latest comments therefore offer a particularly personal perspective on the Red Bull driver at a time when questions surrounding Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future continue to attract attention.
Max Verstappen: ‘Lily is my greatest treasure’
During the interview with the Dutch magazine, the 28-year-old was asked what made him most proud: one of his world championships, a particular victory or perhaps a specific memory from his career.
Max Verstappen’s answer had nothing to do with racing.
“What am I most proud of? The little one at home. She is the most beautiful and important thing. Our daughter Lily is my greatest treasure. Family is the most important thing to me.”
For a driver whose Formula 1 career has been defined by victories, records and four world championships, the answer underlined how significantly his priorities have changed since becoming a father.
Leaving Lily behind makes F1 travel more difficult
Max Verstappen also drew a parallel between the emotions he now experiences when leaving Lily to travel for Formula 1 and his own childhood memories of watching his father, Jos Verstappen, leave home to go racing.
“This morning, for example, when I left, the little one was standing near the lift as I was going,” Max Verstappen explained. “And then the doors closed… Well, it is not a nice feeling. She had just woken up, I had taken her out of bed and cuddled her for a while, and then I had to leave.”
Those moments have given Max Verstappen a new understanding of what his own father experienced during his racing career.
“They are not pleasant moments. You know it is part of the game. And I experienced it myself when I was little and my father would leave. I cried and everything, and my father always found it difficult as well.”
Max Verstappen jokes about Lily growing up
Despite the emotional nature of the subject, Max Verstappen ended the conversation with a joke about how his relationship with Lily will inevitably evolve as she grows older.
“I know it is a phase that is part of the game. Sooner or later it will change and she will not want anything to do with me anymore, and she will say: ‘Dad, please go away!’”
For now, however, Max Verstappen’s message could hardly be clearer. Formula 1 victories and world championships remain important, but the achievement that gives him the greatest pride is waiting for him at home.
Leave a Reply