Max Verstappen appears to be staying well away from Formula E for the foreseeable future, with girlfriend Kelly Piquet having revealed the Dutchman’s apparent hatred for electric vehicles.
Piquet was revealed as being the cover star of the January edition of Vogue Magazine in The Netherlands, with her having completed a motorsport-themed photoshoot for the front page.
As well as this, the daughter of banned ex-F1 World Champion Nelson Piquet gave an insight of what it is like to live with Verstappen, during an interview with the magazine.
The majority of the interview with the model appears to be light-hearted, with the Brazilian admitting that the double World Champion “would die” if she asked for an electric car.
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“If Max would say to me: ‘I want to buy you a car’, I would say: ‘An electric one, please’. He would die if I say that, die!” she told Vogue.
Despite its light-hearted nature, many have voiced their anger over Vogue seemingly using Piquet to represent women in motorsport, given how she currently doesn’t work in any series and is certainly not seen as a leader by the vast majority.
Her motorsport-themed photoshoot has gone down particularly badly, with the model having been photographed wearing a racing helmet and suit.
Following the reveal of the cover, the group Females in Motorsport posted a statement on social media condemning Vogue for using Piquet as a representative for “women in motorsport”.
“Seeing Kelly Piquet on the cover of Vogue representing women in motorsport is disappointing,” the group wrote on social media.
“There are so many women out there who actually compete in the sport and who have faced constant adversity. These racers should have had their stories heard instead.”
Whilst the vast majority agreed with the group and showed their support on social media, some defended Piquet, who used to cover social media for Formula E.
“This is Vogue Netherlands, the home of the F1 champion who happens to be her partner,” wrote social media user Ciara Chambers.
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“Not to mention it’s Vogue – a fashion magazine first and foremost, Kelly is a model, this actually makes perfect sense for their brand.”
In response to some of the backlash received as a result of posting their statement, the Females in Motorsport group clarified that their beliefs weren’t a “personal attack” on Verstappen’s girlfriend, and that they simply question why a better candidate wasn’t used.
“This is not a personal attack on Kelly but rather questioning why the decision was made to position her as a representative for women in motorsport,” the group later clarified.