Max Verstappen says his pole position at the Miami Grand Prix proves he hasn’t slowed down by becoming a father for the first time.
The defending champion arrived late in Miami after his first child (a daughter called Lily) was born with his partner Kelly Piquet, and placed fourth in the sprint before Red Bull’s pit stop error kicked him out of the point. Verstappen responded with a strong performance in Q3, securing Lando Norris’s previous pole position in 0.065 seconds, proving that he has no impact on his performance.
“It’s great to be able to spend a few days at home before I came here,” Verstappen said. “When she was new to birth, you want to make sure everything is okay. Obviously it didn’t slow me down being dad! So it’s positive.
“When I was here, honestly, it’s very fluent. Anyway, I’ve been in a lot of contact with my girlfriend all day long and get a little photo and face. It’s always there.
“I don’t really listen to such stupid things. I’m just doing my own thing. I think there are plenty of race drivers who were world champions even after giving birth to a child.
Red Bull brings Miami a floor update, and Verstappen says he could have helped him get a little more comfortable in the car and played a role in pole position, but he is still wary of the challenge to turn it into a victory on Sunday.
“We’re still a bit struggling with car restrictions, but I think we were pretty decent on the laps. Looking at the cornering, we’re straight and a little slower this week with McLaren and Mercedes, they’re taking a new engine and of course giving them more power than the used engines.
“That seems to have gotten a little better. Of course, it’s a different story in the long run. The tires are really hot around here, but I don’t know what will happen in the rain tomorrow. Honestly, the colder the better.”