"That's way more important than what we achieve in Motorsport": Max Verstappen opens up on the birth of daughter Lily

Max Verstappen welcomed his newborn daughter Lily with partner Kelly Piquet, ahead of the Miami Grand Prix in May. Reflecting on how having his own child is a special moment in his memory, he claimed that family happiness and having a good time matter more to him than what he has achieved in motorsports.

The 27-year-old has been driving at the top level of motorsports for over a decade. Since then, he has amassed four world titles, 65 race wins, and a host of other achievements in his racing career.

However, above all these, milestones in personal life also count. The moments with his family and the happiness with close ones also matter a lot to Verstappen, as F1 is just a part of his life.

So, opening up on how important his daughter Lily is to him, he told Red Bull Academy driver Alisha Palmoski and CEO of Rokt, Bruce Buchanan:

"Seeing your child for the first time, like your little baby, that’s something very special. For me, those are like moments are like rock. It's just super nice to see, from when I grew up with my sister, seeing her having her babies, having a happy family life, like that's amazing. Besides, all the performance-related stuff that's happened in my career, for me, that's the most important, seeing your family happy, having a good time, living a good life. For me, probably is way more important than whatever we achieve in motorsport." (16:38 onwards)

Meanwhile, Lily recently turned 100 days old, with Verstappen and Piquet spending some time together during the summer break.

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Max Verstappen shared how his mind escapes the racetrack when he's with Lily

Kelly Piquet (L) and Max Verstappen (R) at the 2024 F1 Grand Prix of Qatar - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen was already a "bonus dad" with Kelly Piquet's first daughter, Penelope. This aided the Dutchman in getting ready to enter parenthood himself with Lily.

While Verstappen remains a fierce driver on the track, his mindset changes whenever he gets home and sees Lily. The 27-year-old revealed that he leaves what happened at the racetrack to focus on his newborn, as he said (via F1's official website):

"For me, when I come back home, you immediately forget about what happened on the racetrack because, at the end of the day, that doesn’t matter when you come back home and you see your little baby."

On the other hand, Max Verstappen's first Dutch GP since Lily's arrival went smoothly. Though he was unable to claim a win on his home soil, many had already anticipated that it was not on the cards owing to McLaren's performance, so a runner-up finish at the 72-lap race helped him continue his 100 percent podium record at the track.