Girlfriend Kelly Piquet Admits to Deliberately Shunning Daughter Away From F1 Despite Max Verstappen’s Historic Heroics

Kelly Piquet has become one of the most familiar faces in the Formula 1 paddock over recent years. Even before the Brazilian model started dating Max Verstappen in 2020, or even when she was in a relationship with former driver Daniil Kvyat, she was no stranger to an F1 track. As the daughter of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet, the racetrack was practically where she grew up—her second home. Despite keeping F1 close to her heart almost all her life, she doesn’t want that to be her daughter Penelope’s life.

There’s no better time to be part of the Max Verstappen camp than now. The 25-year-old Dutchman is in the form of his life, with the fastest car beneath him. And he’s taking full advantage of the beast of an RB19 he has, winning every race he possibly can. Having just won the Dutch GP—his home race—Verstappen is on a record nine-race-win streak, adding to Red Bull’s undefeated record this season. One person who’s there supporting him almost every race weekend is Kelly Piquet. But have you ever wondered why her daughter Penelope is never there?

In an interview with Dutch magazine Kek Mama, Piquet revealed, “I haven’t taken P (Penelope) to races yet. She hasn’t asked for one yet, and I’d rather keep her away from photographers for now. If she asks, I might take her one day when it’s not too busy.” [Translated by Google] She also revealed that, as much of a fan as Penelope is of Verstappen, she isn’t a fan of loud noises. 

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When the time comes that the four-year-old finally decides to attend a race and watch Verstappen in action (and not just on the simulator), Piquet won’t hesitate to bring Penelope to the track. As much as Penelope loves Verstappen, so does he, and he sure wouldn’t mind having his little fan support him live. It’s no secret that Piquet has wanted the best for her daughter since she came into her life in 2019. Speaking of 2019, Piquet also revealed the struggles of pregnancy she went through before Penelope was born.

Kelly Piquet opens up about child safety and her pregnancy

Having been around F1 circuits her entire life, Piquet knows the importance of safety. While promoting the German brand Cybex’s car safety products for children, she talked to Kek Mama about the importance of child safety. She said, “Education is crucial when it comes to the topic of child safety. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to share my experiences as I have been on F1 circuits all my life, and of course most importantly, my experiences as a mother.”

She moved on to talk about the time she was carrying Penelope and the struggles of becoming a mother for the first time. Piquet revealed, “First of all when you are pregnant for the first time, you have, ‘How am I going to start all this? How am I going to do all this?’ everything starts changing. The thing that caught me was all the awards.” There’s no doubt she’s an excellent mother if her social media posts are anything to go by. And she has the perfect partner in Max Verstappen to give Penelope company at her tea parties!

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What do you think about Kelly Piquet’s decision to keep Penelope away from the track until she’s ready to see Verstappen in action?