Max Verstappen’s girlfriend, Kelly Piquet, expressed her excitement after his impressive victory in the Sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday. Verstappen overcame a fierce 15-lap battle against Oscar Piastri to secure his first sprint win of the 2025 season, highlighting his resilience and skill on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
During qualifying, Verstappen managed to disrupt the dominant McLarens by qualifying second, positioning himself perfectly for the sprint event. At the start, he strategically stayed behind Piastri before using the slipstream advantage on the Kemmel straight to overtake at the subsequent chicane. From there, he maintained a gap to keep Piastri behind through to the finish line. Meanwhile, Lando Norris, Piastri’s McLaren teammate, completed the podium in third place.
Kelly Piquet, who has not attended a race since the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, marked the occasion by resharing Formula 1’s Instagram post in her story, celebrating Verstappen’s achievement. The couple welcomed their daughter, Lily, in May 2024, and Piquet is expected to support Verstappen from home as he prepares for Saturday’s qualifying session for the main Belgian Grand Prix race. Verstappen acknowledged that McLaren’s pace may keep pole position out of reach, but he aims to remain competitive near the front of the pack.
Verstappen Details Challenges of Holding Off McLaren Rivals at Spa
Following his victory, Verstappen reflected on the demanding effort required to fend off the rapid McLaren cars in the sprint. He likened the effort to completing 15 qualifying laps while managing tire wear and brake performance under pressure. The Dutch driver explained that tire management was nearly impossible during the race, forcing him to push beyond usual limits to maintain his position.
“Well, it’s basically, you’re keeping faster cars behind. So you have to drive over the limit of what you think is possible. Tire management is out of the window. That is what’s making it really difficult,” said Verstappen.
“I’m just doing 15 qualifying laps to try and keep them behind on a track where tire management is important. It wasn’t easy but we managed to do it so, I’m very happy with that,” he added.
This latest sprint victory extends Verstappen’s record to 12 sprint wins in Formula 1, surpassing all other drivers. The closest contenders include Valtteri Bottas, Oscar Piastri, and Lando Norris, each with only two sprint wins, illustrating Verstappen’s dominant status in this format of racing.
Verstappen’s performance at the Belgian GP Sprint not only underscores his competitive edge but also adds momentum heading into the main race. His ability to hold off the swift McLarens despite the intense challenges signals a tense and exciting battle ahead on Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps, where the weather and track conditions often play a crucial role. For Verstappen and Red Bull, maintaining this form will be key to continuing their championship campaign.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Max Verstappen a billionaire?
A. The Briton’s net worth is thought to be around $285 million, while Max Verstappen’s net worth is estimated at $210 million.
Q. Did Max Verstappen apologize?
A. Christian Horner shared that Max Verstappen said sorry to the Red Bull team after his crash with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix. This accident caused Verstappen to fall from 5th place to 10th place after receiving a 10-second penalty.
Q. Are Lando Norris and Max Verstappen still friends?
A. Yes, there was a lot of drama. However, even after these disagreements, Verstappen and Norris have consistently claimed they are still good friends.
Q. Has Max Verstappen apologized to Lando Norris?
A. Norris stated that he and Verstappen discussed the incident afterward. When asked if Verstappen apologized, Norris replied, “I don’t think he needed to say sorry. I believe I was more upset when I talked about it right after the race.”
