Formula 1 star Max Verstappen has announced that he is becoming a father and his girlfriend Kelly Piquet is expecting their first child together.

Red Bull driver Verstappen, 27, announced the news in a joint social media post.

Kelly Piquet, daughter of three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet, has a daughter, Penelope, from a relationship with former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat, who Verstappen replaced at Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

The pair announced the news ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of Verstappen’s fourth world title-winning season.

With the baby’s birth in 2025, Verstappen, along with Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez and Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg, will be the only fathers on the F1 grid.

The positive news is a welcome change for Verstappen, who has been embroiled in controversy after he and rival George Russell were involved in a war of words.

After an incident during qualifying at the Qatar Grand Prix, the two drivers loudly insulted each other in front of the media.

Russell claimed he had “lost all respect” for “thug” Verstappen, while the Dutch driver branded Russell “double-faced” and a “liar”.