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Max Verstappen secured pole position at the Miami Grand Prix ahead of Lando Norris.
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The Dutch racer wagered against his competitor by 0.045 seconds during the week he welcomed his child into the world.
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Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q2 and secured a disappointing 12th place on the grid.
Max Verstappen
The dad is both on and off the track. Just a few days after becoming a father for the first time, he secured pole position for the Miami Grand Prix.
The Dutchman arrived in
Florida
Shortly after his girlfriend Kelly Piquet had given birth to their child, Lily, he set aside his emotions to outperform McLaren.
Lando Norris
by three-fiftieths of a second.
‘Becoming a father hasn’t held me back,’ Verstappen said with a smile. ‘I’ve always ignored such nonsense. I simply focus on what I do.’
‘There have been numerous drivers who became champions after starting families. I’m not sure where this notion originates.’
Norris managed to find something positive from yesterday following his victory in the sprint race earlier in the day, thanks partly to a well-timed safety car intervention that placed him in front of his teammate and championship frontrunner.
Oscar Piastri
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In Saturday’s qualification session for Sunday’s main race – where predictions suggest possible rainfall – Piastri secured the fourth spot on the grid, defending his lead of nine points. Between the two McLarens, Mercedes’ young driver Kimi Antonelli claimed the middle position.
Lewis Hamilton experienced yet another disappointing session. The seven-time world champion was knocked out in Q2 for the first time during his six-race tenure at Ferrari, and will begin the race from the 12th position.
Verstappen skipped his media obligations on Thursday following the birth of his daughter Lily in Monaco. Red Bull confirmed his unavailability just hours before he was scheduled to show up.
Concerns arose that the current world champion, pursuing a fifth successive driver’s championship, could potentially fail to make it through qualifying. However, the 27-year-old arrived in Miami via a private plane on Friday afternoon.
Formula 1 shared a clip on X showing the 27-year-old reaching the circuit, accompanied by the comment: ‘The latest addition to the paddock dads has made his appearance!’
The Formula 1 celebrity shared the news via an Instagram post, stating: ‘Hello little Lily, welcome to this world. Our hearts overflow with joy—your arrival is our biggest blessing. We cherish you deeply.’
Although Lily is Max’s initial offspring, model Piquet, aged 36, previously had a daughter named Penelope, who was born in 2019, through her past relationship with Formula One racer Daniil Kvyat, who is 30 years old.
Verstappen will become one of the few drivers alongside Nico Hulkenerg who has children competing on the F1 grid.
When asked about his advice for Verstappen regarding parenthood, the Kick Sauber driver replied, “I hope the baby sleeps well.”
In the meantime, his competitors dismissed any notions that he would be less competitive following the arrival of his daughter.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton stated: “I simply hope for his continued success. This is truly an incredible and significant moment. We had a brief conversation in Saudi where I could see how thrilled he was. Huge congratulations to him.”
Hulkenberg commented, “Once we get into the car—with the visor down and start driving—I often find myself forgetting about everything happening outside. We become so intensely focused and determined to deliver our best performance.”
‘I simply believe it provides an additional advantage since it offers me numerous benefits beyond my professional life and Formula 1 commitments. Therefore, I would argue that it has actually proven beneficial for me.’
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