Max Verstappen opened up about how fatherhood has changed his outlook on life, revealing how his daughter and family help him find balance beyond Formula 1.

Max Verstappen may be one of the most dominant forces in Formula 1, but away from the intensity of the grid, the reigning world champion has found something even more grounding: family life.

The Red Bull driver recently opened up about how becoming a father has given him a new sense of balance and perspective amid the chaos of a relentless F1 season.

Notably, Verstappen has a daughter named Lily with his girlfriend, Kelly Piquet, a Brazilian model and the daughter of three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet.

Kelly also has a daughter, Penelope, from her previous relationship with former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat, and Max has often been seen spending time with both children, embracing his role as a father figure in their lives.

In his appearance on the Pelas Pistas Podcast, alongside Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto, Verstappen shared how his daughter and family have helped him see life beyond racing’s high-pressure environment.

Max Verstappen on Fatherhood

Despite the constant travel, competition, and scrutiny, the 28-year-old insists that fatherhood hasn’t changed how he drives, but it has changed how he handles everything else.

“Not when I’m in the race. Like, doing a move or whatever, no. It definitely doesn’t make you slower, for sure,” Verstappen said when asked whether having a child affects his risk-taking on track.

“Everyone that says these kinds of things, like it’s just absolute bull—t. It doesn’t work like that. If you’re there to perform, it’s your job at the end of the day. You arrive there and you need to perform. Even when you have a kid, it doesn’t change,” he added.

The Dutch driver explained that once the helmet goes on, he’s still the same fearless racer. But when the checkered flag drops and the engines quiet down, his daughter brings him back to what truly matters.

How His Daughter Helps Him Cope After Bad Races

“When you sit in the car and you’re going into qualifying, you want to do the best you can, or when you start the race, if there’s an opportunity, you send it,” Verstappen said.

“But it does change in terms of how, if you have a good race or a bad race, you can be upset about it, but then, actually, when you get back home and you see the baby smiling and being there with your family, then you’re like, whatever,” the 28-year-old added.

“If you had a terrible race or whatever, you’re like, ‘forget about it.’ This is more important than your racing results or life in a way,” the Red Bull driver continued.

Verstappen added that fatherhood has helped him handle disappointment better and keep his emotions in check, something that even the most seasoned champions struggle with.

“I could do that already a bit before,” he continued. “I think I learned that also along the way, that sometimes you need to just try and be a bit more relaxed about it. But more now, yeah, having a daughter makes you…”

Finding Peace Away from the Paddock

Even with the pressure of maintaining dominance in Formula 1, Verstappen has found comfort in the calm that comes from home life.

“Especially the season that I had in the beginning, you know, we had a lot of tough results and not always being happy or enjoying the situation. But then, at least I was enjoying the situation when I would come back home and just spend time with the family.”

While Verstappen remains laser-focused on his racing goals, his family, including his girlfriend Kelly Piquet, the mother of his daughter, provides him with the grounding that even the fiercest competitors need.

Through the highs of victory and the lows of defeat, Verstappen’s words paint the picture of a driver who’s found peace off the track. Amid the adrenaline and chaos of Formula 1, the reigning champion has discovered a different kind of fulfillment, one that comes from the simple joy of being a father.