Max Verstappen has been officially dating model Kelly Piquet since the start of 2021, with the daughter of three-time World Champion Nelson Piquet often seen by the Dutchman’s side at the races.
The duo has formed a very strong bond, as has Verstappen with his partner’s daughter, Penelope.
Penelope’s father is ex-F1 driver Daniil Kvyat, who Verstappen actually replaced at Red Bull back at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
Kelly dated Kvyat prior to meeting Verstappen, before their relationship concluded in 2019.
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Verstappen and Penelope are often seen together in the 26-year-old’s home in Monte-Carlo, when the Red Bull driver is streaming his simulator racing on Twitch.
Many fans of Verstappen have commented in the past about how strong Verstappen’s bond is with Penelope; however, the three-time World Champion has stressed that he’s not trying to become her father.
Verstappen recognises the importance of getting on well with the four-year-old but has insisted that she has a “good relationship” with her father, Kvyat.
“I’m not the father, that’s not the aim,” Verstappen told TIME.
“It’s always very important that she has a good relationship with her own father, which she has.
“But I see her every day when I’m at home. We get on very well. She’s very cute.”
As mentioned, Penelope is often seen on Verstappen’s streams, whilst he’s racing in his simulator.
Whether it’s a real circuit or a virtual one, Verstappen is never far away from a racetrack, with him admitting that racing is basically the only thing he’s “passionate about”.
“I watch other sports, but there’s nothing really that I’m really passionate about,” Verstappen said.
Verstappen is just as fast in the virtual world as he is in the real one, with him having competed in some of the biggest sim races in the world.
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In the interview with TIME, Kelly joked that she sometimes has to tell the reigning World Champion to come away from his simulator and remind him that the “sun is shining outside”.
“There have been times where I’ve been like, ‘OK, time to switch off’,” Piquet said.
“You have to give a gentle reminder that the sun is shining outside and, you know, there are other things to do.”