Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet have known each other for a decade

Kelly Piquet has caused quite a stir on social media after sharing details about when she first encountered Formula One champion Max Verstappen nearly a decade ago.

The Brazilian model, now 37, posted a series of photographs from 2016 as part of a viral trend, with the final image showing her alongside the Dutch racing star.

In her caption, Piquet revealed that Verstappen declared his feelings for her almost immediately after their initial meeting.

“Met this guy [in 2016]… the very next day he told me I was the love of his life,” she wrote, adding that she could not have predicted they would eventually build a family together.

Kelly Piquet opened up on how her relationship with Max Verstappen started

 | INSTAGRAM

The post has attracted significant attention online, garnering nearly 2,000 comments, with some users questioning the age difference between the couple when they first crossed paths.

One commenter pointed out that Piquet was 27 whilst Verstappen was still a teenager in 2016, prompting a direct response from the model.

“He was already 19 but yeah so what,” Piquet replied, dismissing any suggestion of impropriety.

The pair are understood to have first met in Monaco during the same year the Dutchman made history by becoming the youngest Grand Prix winner following his triumph in Spain.

Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet have been officially together since 2020

 | PA

The couple officially began their relationship in 2020 and have now been together for more than five years.

Their family expanded in May 2025 when they welcomed a daughter named Lily.

Verstappen has also taken on a paternal role with Piquet’s elder daughter, Penelope, from her previous relationship with former Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat.

The four-time world champion has spoken openly about how caring for Penelope prepared him for fatherhood.

“Luckily I did get a little bit of training with Penelope,” Verstappen previously told the Talking Bull podcast, describing watching her grow up over four years as “really, really nice.”

Piquet has previously acknowledged that the nine-year age difference might appear challenging to outsiders, though she maintains it has never posed difficulties for them.

“You would think the age difference could be a challenge, but so far things are going really well,” she told Vogue Netherlands, describing their partnership as healthy and easygoing with mutual understanding and support.

She also expressed appreciation for how Verstappen treats her eldest daughter, calling it “sweet to see.”

As for whether wedding bells might be on the horizon, the racing champion has remained characteristically guarded, stating that only “time will tell” regarding any potential engagement.