Max Verstappen is on the verge of equalling Kelly Piquet's father Nelson Piquet's 4-decade-old accomplishment: F1 Statistics
Red Bull driver and three-time world champion Max Verstappen is on the verge of equaling his girlfriend, Kelly Piquet's father Nelson Piquet Sr.'s decade-old accomplishment at the end of the 2024 season. The Dutch driver has showcased impeccable consistency throughout the season despite the RB20 not being the most dominant car on the grid.
The 27-year-old started the season strong, winning seven of the first nine races and built up a healthy lead for himself in the driver's championship. However, the Austrian team was not able to develop the car as efficiently as McLaren and Ferrari throughout the season, and have slipped back to P3 in the Constructors Championship.
However, Max Verstappen has maintained his lead over Lando Norris throughout the year and is currently 62 points ahead of the Brit with three races and one Sprint remaining. He could claim his fourth successive title as early as Las Vegas in a couple of weeks becoming the first driver since Nelson Piquet to win a title when the team had finished in P3.
The Brazilian had won his second title in the sport in 1983, as the Brabham-BMW team finished in P3 behind Ferrari and Renault with 72 points. The former three-time world champion is connected to Verstappen as his daughter, Kelly, has been in a relationship for the past four years with the Red Bull driver.
Max Verstappen chimes in on his dynamic with Nelson Piquet Sr.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen stated that he and Nelson Piquet Sr. did not talk about motorsports whenever they met, and discussed topics from general life.
Speaking with Formula 1 Magazine, the soon-to-be four-time world champion spoke about keeping his private life away from the sport and reflected:
“What I do privately is nobody else's business… I don't follow that many Formula 1-related accounts or people anyway. I consciously ignore a lot of Formula 1 news, then at some point, it doesn't pass by in my timeline either. Actually, I only follow other sports and athletes to get balance in my life that way. I don't want - and especially when I'm at home - to know everything that's going on in the paddock."
"That certainly also applies to family visits in Brazil, when I see my father-in-law [Piquet]. Then we really don't talk about motorsport. He has talked more than enough about that in his life. At a certain point, you don't feel like talking about it anymore either, you're done talking about it. I do understand that there is more to life.”
Nelson Piquet Sr. was spotted in the F1 Paddock at the recently concluded Brazilian Grand Prix, where he went with his family to cheer on Max Verstappen.