Max Verstappen fires back: Being a father “clearly didn’t make me slower”
Max Verstappen reflects on his first F1 pole position since becoming a father.
Max Verstappen responded to suggestions that becoming a father for the first time could slow him down after taking pole position at the F1 Miami Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver, who is chasing a fifth consecutive world championship this year, produced an outstanding lap to beat McLaren’s Lando Norris to pole in Miami.
Verstappen only arrived in Miami on Friday after his partner Kelly Piquet gave birth to their first child, Lily.
The news led to a swathe of questions as to whether being a parent would slow the 27-year-old Dutchman down, something his rivals were quick to dismiss.
And Verstappen fired back at those suggestions in the post-qualifying press conference on Saturday.
“It’s been good to be able to spend a few days at home before coming here. When she’s just been born, you want to make sure everything is okay,” he said.
“Clearly, it didn’t make me slower being a dad, so that’s a positive. So we can throw that out of the window as well, for people mentioning it.
“I am in contact a lot with my girlfriend anyway throughout the day, getting pictures and on FaceTime a bit. It’s always there but now one more member in the family.”
Pressed further on what he made about those suggestions, Verstappen replied: “I don’t really listen to these kind of silly things, I just do my thing.
“I think there are enough racing drivers in the past who have been world champions even after having kids. Honestly I don’t know where this has even come from.”
It marked Verstappen’s third pole in six races this season after Red Bull introduced an upgraded floor this weekend.
“I think apart from entry Turn 1, yes. It’s just been really tricky to get the tyres in the right window over a whole lap,” he said of his pole lap.
“So I think in hindsight of course you never want to have an oversteer moment on entry, but over the whole lap I did feel a bit more comfortable.
“I’m very happy to be on pole. Q1, Q2, Q3 just kept chipping away at it and then I just kept on improving a little bit, so that’s what you want.”
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