Verstappen to become a dad, Marko jokes: “They say you lose 3 tenths. He’d still be the fastest”. In a few months, Max Verstappen will become a father.

Still the fastest, even as a parent
In a few months, Max Verstappen will become a father. The current partner of the four-time world champion, Kelly Piquet, is expecting the Dutch driver’s first child. Helmut Marko, Verstappen’s mentor and discoverer, jokingly commented on the upcoming fatherhood of the Hasselt-born champion, with whom he shares a strong bond.

The Red Bull advisor, interviewed by German TV channel RTL, addressed the topic with humor, referencing Enzo Ferrari’s famous “theory” that drivers lose speed after becoming parents. “It’s generally said that a driver becomes three-tenths slower with their first child,” Marko commented. “This would mean Max might be caught by some of the top drivers. But he’d still be slightly ahead, so from that perspective, it’s not an issue,” he quipped, taking a jab at Verstappen’s rivals ahead of what could be one of the most competitive seasons in F1 history.

A family affair
From a motorsport perspective, Max Verstappen’s future child will undoubtedly have a remarkable legacy: as the child of Max and the grandchild of three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet, speed may well be in their blood. “All that can be said about the child is that it doesn’t matter whether it’s a boy or a girl. Their father is a four-time world champion, and their grandfather is a three-time world champion. Those genes certainly promise exceptional talent, provided they have the desire to follow that path when they grow up.”

Max Verstappen himself joked about potentially getting disqualified from a GP to attend Kelly’s delivery. However, Helmut Marko believes his protégé’s professionalism won’t falter: “Skipping a race? I don’t think so. Max is truly family-oriented, but racing is his priority, and barring exceptional circumstances—which one hopes to avoid—I can’t imagine it.”