Four-time world champion, Max Verstappen states that his most beautiful trophy has nothing to do with Formula 1. The Dutchman speaks emotionally about his new life as a father.
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With four world titles, 71 Grand Prix wins, and a place among the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history, Max Verstappen has already won almost everything on the circuits. Yet, when asked what his greatest achievement is, the Red Bull driver does not mention a championship or a memorable victory.
For the Dutchman, the most beautiful gift of his life simply awaits him at home: his daughter Lily.
“My greatest trophy is my daughter”
Interviewed by Formule1.nl about what represented his greatest reward, Verstappen did not hesitate for a second.
“It’s this little one waiting for me at home. It’s the most beautiful and important thing in my life. Our daughter Lily is my greatest trophy. Family is by far what matters most to me.”
Since Lily’s birth in April 2025, the result of his union with Kelly Piquet, the daily life of the four-time world champion has profoundly changed. Despite an always busy schedule, Verstappen explains that his life as a father now occupies a much more important place than his sporting achievements.
Departures becoming increasingly difficult
Although he is used to traveling around the world to compete in Grand Prix races, leaving his home has become much more complicated since he became a father.
The Red Bull driver admits that separations are becoming increasingly difficult to endure.
“I really start to feel it. When I left for Hungary, my little one was in front of the elevator as I was getting in to go down. The doors closed… It wasn’t a pleasant moment.”
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Verstappen recounts that his daughter had just woken up.
“I had taken her out of her bed, hugged her, then I had to leave. These are moments that are not easy. But I know that it’s part of this life.”
A memory that reminds him of his own father
This situation actually echoes his own childhood. Max Verstappen perfectly remembers his father Jos Verstappen’s departures, a former Formula 1 driver between 1994 and 2003.
Today, he understands much better what his father might have felt at the time.
“I was doing exactly the same thing when I was little. My father left the house and I cried. He also found those moments very difficult.”
Even if these separations are sometimes trying, Verstappen keeps perspective on the situation and knows that this period will not last forever.
“It’s simply a stage of life. One day, it will be the opposite and she won’t want to be with me anymore. She will say: ‘Dad, leave me alone!’”
Used to collecting trophies for more than a decade, Max Verstappen thus assures that his greatest pride is not found in a display case. For the Red Bull driver, no victory or world title can compete with the happiness that his family life brings him today.
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