Joaquin Niemann celebrates $35M-worth F1 driver's qualifying result as he enjoys VIP access at Italian GP

Joaquin Niemann was spotted enjoying VIP access at the Italian Grand Prix, where he celebrated F1 star Lando Norris’ strong qualifying result at Monza. The Chilean golfer shared an Instagram story on Saturday, September 6, alongside his wife, Christina Hellema Puga, posing in the McLaren garage with VIP passes around their necks.

The P2 result marked another strong showing for Norris, who has an estimated net worth of $35 million and continues to be McLaren’s frontrunner in the 2025 F1 season. His qualifying run at Monza further fueled excitement for a potential Sunday showdown with Ferrari on the latter's home turf.

Niemann kept it casual for the day, dressed in a white T-shirt and dark trousers, while his partner wore a matching white co-ord set. Both sported headsets as they took in the high-octane atmosphere from behind the scenes. Niemann added the caption, “P2 @lando” with a cloud emoji, showing his support for the McLaren star.

A screenshot of Joaquin Niemann's Instagram story (via @joaco_niemann)

On track, Norris delivered a thrilling qualifying performance. The British driver briefly topped the timesheets in Q3 with a flying lap before being edged out by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who sealed pole position with a 1:18.792. Norris finished just 0.077s back in second, while his teammate Oscar Piastri claimed third. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five, though Hamilton will drop five places due to a pre-event grid penalty.

VIP access to the Italian GP, such as the F1 Paddock Club, offers exclusive experiences like garage tours and potential encounters with drivers.

Joaquin Niemann reflects on narrow LIV Golf title defeat to Jon Rahm

Joaquin Niemann came up just short in the 2025 LIV Golf individual standings, finishing three points behind Jon Rahm. Despite winning five titles this season, the Chilean was overtaken by Rahm, who claimed the championship without recording a single tournament victory.

Speaking after the final event in Indianapolis, Joaquin Niemann admitted the outcome was “tricky” to process. He noted that a stronger finish in recent weeks could have made the difference, but credited Rahm for delivering when it mattered most. He said:

“It was obviously three points apart. I could have played better today, this week, or probably last week I could have played a little bit better… But Jon (Rahm) just proved how good he is and how good he is in these moments."

Looking back on his year, the 26-year-old highlighted both the positives and the areas for growth. His five wins and first career top-10 in a major stood out, but he also acknowledged falling short in other majors.

“Obviously it was a great year. I look back, obviously, I won five times, had my first top 10 in a major, didn't play well at the other ones. But yeah, I feel like going back to the year, going back to today, I feel like there is so much learning and so much things that I can get better that I'm actually really excited about it… I can't wait to have chill time,” he added.

Joaquin Niemann closed the Indianapolis event tied for fourth at 17-under, three places away from what would have been his sixth victory of 2025.