Formula 1

Who Is Max Verstappen’s Girlfriend? Kelly Piquet Is The Daughter Of A Former Champion And Dated Former F1 Driver

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By
Kieran Lynch
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Kieran Lynch Sports Editor

Kieran Lynch is a sports writer specialising in football and Formula One. He is a sports journalism graduate of Leeds Trinity University and completed a Press Association NCTJ course in Newcastle. He previously worked as a news reporter for the Eastern Daily Press in Norfolk and spent five years as a sports writer at the MailOnline.

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Published16 Apr 2025

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Max Verstappen is widely regarded as the best driver in Formula One right now, having won four straight titles with the Red Bull team. His girlfriend has racing heritage in her family and also dated a former rival of the Dutch star. Read on to find out who is Max Verstappen’s girlfriend. 

Who Is Max Verstappen’s Girlfriend?

Max Verstappen, the four-time Formula One world champion, is in a relationship with Kelly Piquet.

She is the daughter of Nelson Piquet, who also won the F1 title in 1981, 1983 and 1987. Kelly was born on December 7, 1988, to Brazilian F1 legend Nelson and her Dutch model mother Sylvia Tamsma.

Kelly spent her childhood living in the south of , Brazil and England. She later studied International Relations at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City.

Kelly has had a varied career working as a fashion model, a columnist for Marie Claire, blogger, and public relations professional.

In 2015, she left the fashion world to become a social media manager for electric racing series Formula E.

As per the Daily Mail she said: “Fashion has always been in the background, to tell the truth. Although it encomes my lifestyle and I get a lot of invitations, time doesn’t allow me to do it. But I believe that this subject is not restricted or closed. It somehow shines through in my work with Formula E.”

She has often been seen in the Formula One paddock over the years. Mostly watching her boyfriend Verstappen, who has achieved huge success over the last four years.

Verstappen has won four straight titles between 2021 and 2024, and has 64 race wins to his name – only behind Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher in the all-time rankings.

How Did Max Verstappen And Kelly Piquet Meet?

Max Verstappen’s girlfriend Kelly Piquet first met the Dutch racing driver in Monaco back in 2016.

At the time, Verstappen was only 19 and in the second year of his Formula One career, while Piquet was 27-years-old.

Verstappen in 2016 had ed the Red Bull team after he was promoted from the Spanish Grand Prix from the junior Torro Rosso outfit.

Ironically, Verstappen had swapped seats with Daniil Kvyat – who would enter a relationship with Kelly Piquet in January 2017 – more on the former Russian F1 driver later.

Verstappen’s first meeting with Kelly Piquet was a meal with her brother Nelson Piquet Jr. Nelson Jr also previously raced in Formula One and was friends with Verstappen.

Reflecting on the encounter in a 2022 Dutch Vogue interview, Kelly described their first meeting as where “something magical happened”.

The magic didn’t lead to an immediate relationship. Instead, they got together in October 2020.

They went public with their relationship in January 2021, sharing photos on Instagram during a New Year’s Day celebration in Dubai.

Do Max Verstappen And His Girlfriend Kelly Piquet Have Any Children?

Max Verstappen and girlfriend Kelly Piquet are expecting their first child together. The couple announced the pregnancy on Instagram in December 2024.

They shared an intimate black-and-white photo with the caption: “Mini Verstappen-Piquet on the way. We couldn’t be happier with our little miracle.” Reports have suggested that the baby is due in early May.

This will be Kelly’ second child, as she had a daughter from her previous relationship with Daniil Kvyat. Penelope was born in July 2019 and is now five-years-old.

Verstappen told TIME that he has a good relationship with Penelope’s father Kvyat.

As per GPToday he said: “I’m not the father, that’s not the aim. It’s always very important that she has a good relationship with her own father, which she has.

“But I see her every day when I’m at home. We get on very well. She’s very cute.”

Kelly Piquet’s Racing Heritage

Kelly Piquet grew up in a family that is deeply entrenched in motorsport. Her father, Nelson Piquet Sr, is one of Brazil’s all-time great drivers.

He won two titles with Brabham in the 1981 and 1983 season, before winning a third as Nigel Mansell’s teammate at Williams in 1987.

Piquet Sr left Formula One at the end of the 1991 season after 207 entries and 23 wins. The final teammate of his F1 career was Michael Schumacher, who had ed his Benetton team for the final races of the 1991 season.

However, he has been the subject of controversy in recent years following remarks about Max Verstappen’s on-track rival Lewis Hamilton.

He was banned from the F1 paddock in 2022 and later made to pay £780,000 in damages for alleged racist and homophobic remarks towards Hamilton. He made the comments on a podcast in November 2021, when speaking about a collision involving Verstappen and Hamilton at that year’s British Grand Prix.

There was also controversy surrounding Kelly’s brother, Nelson Piquet Jr who raced for Renault in 2008 and 2009.

Piquet Jr was involved in the crashgate scandal where after being sacked by the team, he revealed that they deliberately told him to crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. That crash brought out the safety car and allowed teammate Fernando Alonso to win the race.

Renault originally accused Piquet of ‘false allegations’ but the Piquets won a libel case against the team in 2010.

Another sibling, Pedro Piquet, raced in Formula 2 as recent as 2020 but didn’t make the jump to Formula One.

How Long Was Kelly Piquet With Daniil Kvyat?

Max Verstappen’s girlfriend Kelly Piquet was previously in a relationship with Russian F1 driver Daniil Kvyat from January 2017 to December 2019.

They met through F1 circles during Kvyat’s second spell at Torro Rosso. This was after he was replaced by Max Verstappen at Red Bull.

They welcomed their daughter Penelope in July 2019, and Kvyat dedicated his podium at that year’s German Grand Prix to Kelly and their child.

Five months later though they would split up, with Kelly starting a relationship with Verstappen around 10 months later.

Kvyat lost his place in Formula One at the end of the 2020 season and now races sportscars.

Max Verstappen And Girlfriend Kelly Piquet’s Net Worth

Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet between them have a staggeringly high net worth.

As per Planet F1, Verstappen’s net worth is reportedly worth around £185m – with only Lewis Hamilton (£371m) and Fernando Alonso (£205m) ranking higher out of the 20 drivers on the Formula One grid.

Verstappen’s net worth has rocketed up in recent years. He has been listed by Forbes as being the highest-paid driver in 2023 and 2024.

In 2024, he took home a reported £64m including bonuses from his F1 career, while his net worth has been bolstered by endorsements and business interests including an online sim racing team.

Piquet’s net worth is reported to be between £850,000 and £2.5m. The model who has 1.8 million Instagram followers promotes brands and has worked with names like Louis Vuitton and Pepe Jeans.