Formula One fans have taken to social media to detail their spectacular theory that Max Verstappen may be gearing up to retire after he announced he is set to become a father.
The Red Bull driver is currently celebrating yet another World Championship which was sealed as he finished ahead of Lando Norris at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last month.
The title is his fourth on the bounce after he secured his opening victory in the 2021 season by pipping Lewis Hamilton in controversial circumstances in the final race of the campaign at Abu Dhabi.
And it is not just more silverware that Verstappen has been celebrating, after he and his girlfriend Kelly Piquet announced on Friday morning that they were expecting a child.
The racer and his model partner took to social media to confirm the news with their followers as they shared a heartfelt message on their Instagram accounts.
F1 enthusiasts are concerned about the revelation, however, and have aired a sensational theory that the Dutchman might be about to call time on his career aged just 27 after recent remarks he made about fatherhood emerged.
F1 fans are suggesting Max Verstappen may retire after he and Kelly Piquet announced she is expecting a child
The Dutchman won his fourth consecutive World Championship in Las Vegas last month
The couple took to Instagram on Friday morning to confirm the news to their followers
He told the Podpah Podcast just last month: ‘My sister has three kids, seeing more of them as they grow up, seeing them drive those remote cars or electric cars, it reminds me a lot of when I was a kid.
‘That makes me realise I don’t want to drive forever. I want to see them grow up, maybe see my own kids grow up and spend time with them.’
His comments doubled down on views he has expressed in the past and he added: ‘I will definitely be able to continue in F1, but I will also want to do other things to enjoy life to the fullest.
‘My ultimate goal would be to win eight titles. It would be great, but not really necessary. There are many other things I would like to do in life like enjoying time with my family.
‘Already now there are days when my parents call me, and I tell them that I will call them back later.
‘These are the moments that make me think you can’t focus everything on racing and F1. I want to spend time with them because, since I was four years old, they dedicated everything to me for my successes and to try to bring me to F1.’
Motorsport fanatics have filled social media with suggestions that these comments could hint at an imminent retirement for the four-time champion.
Jay said on X: ‘So let me get this straight:
Motorsport enthusiasts took to social media to air the theory that Verstappen might be retiring
‘Max said he wanted to retire before he had kids; he isnt taking part in the post season test; he hosted a party in Qatar to show appreciation for the team; 2025 is the last Dutch Grand Prix.
‘Welcome to retirement Max Verstappen.’
Luna posted: ‘Sorry to all the Verstappen oomfs but announcing a pregnancy 3 days before the end of the season… yeah I think he’s retiring.’
And Laur added: ‘There wont be a title fight next year because its going to be a Charles Leclerc domination all season long with Verstappen retirement looming on the horizon.’
In a joint post across their Instagram accounts, the couple – with their faces out of shot – posed with their hands over Piquet’s stomach.
The caption read: ‘Mini Verstappen-Piquet on the way. We couldn’t be happier with our little miracle.’
Piquet, who is the daughter of former Formula One driver Nelson Piquet, has a high profile within the sport and online, currently boasting 1.5million followers on Instagram.
Piquet has regularly been seen in the paddock supporting her partner and were seen sharing a victory kiss, following Verstappen’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory last year.
Verstappen, 27, and Piquet, 35, have been dating since October 2020 but went public in 2021
The couple previously addressed an ‘upsetting wave of accusations’ about their relationship
Piquet previously dated Russian Formula One driver Daniil Kvyat, who she has a daughter with
Shortly after announcing the news, Verstappen was spotted walking in the paddock ahead of this year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Back in June, the Brazilian model was forced to issue a response on Instagram to unsavoury rumours and accusations that were made against her.
She stated that she had ‘in the past three years been navigating a strange and upsetting wave of accusations’, some of which relate to her previous relationships, with the 35-year-old having dated Russian Formula One driver Daniil Kvyat.
The 35-year-old began dating Kvyat in 2017 with the pair having a daughter, Penelope in 2019. The pair would split later that year, with Piquet going on to date Verstappen.
Piquet addressed the accusations that were made against her on Instagram in an emotional statement asking social media users to think twice before posting rumours online.
‘A note from me and a gentle reminder to all…’ Piquet began. ‘The online world can be a wonderful place for various reasons, but a very scary one when wrong information and lies are thrown around.
‘I am unsure of the appropriate approach to address hate stemming from falsehoods. I have considered composing a response and letting it stand’.
Reports claim the couple have dated since October 2020, though they only went public with their relationship on New Year’s Day in 2021, sharing a romantic snap of them together on a beach in Brazil.
Piquet has regularly been seen in the paddock supporting her partner’s endeavours on the track
The good news comes as a welcome break for Verstappen amid controversy on the track
The 27-year-old has been locked in a bitter feud with British driver George Russell
Piquet was born in Homburg, Germany and had spent most of her childhood living in France before moving to Brazil.
The good news comes as a welcome break for Verstappen who – despite his recent F1 title win – has been embroiled in controversy on the racetrack recently.
Mercedes star and rival George Russell recently claimed that ‘bully’ Verstappen told him he would, ‘put me on my f****** head in the wall.’
Verstappen was furious at being demoted a place after taking pole position for driving ‘unnecessarily slowly’ as they prepared for their final flying laps in qualifying, though he claimed the lead at the start and won the race.
Speaking in Abu Dhabi ahead of this weekend’s concluding race, Russell hit back, saying: ‘I find it all quite ironic considering Saturday night he said he’d purposefully go out of his way to crash into me and, quote, ‘Put me on my f***ing head in the wall’.
‘So to question somebody’s integrity as a person while saying comments like that the day before, I find very ironic’.
A public demonstration of discontent between the pair also saw Verstappen reject Russell’s offer of a fist-pump before Sunday’s race got underway, with the Red Bull ace passing his rival on the first corner and never looking back.
Speaking at the time of his penalisation, Verstappen blasted Russell for what he perceived as disingenuous behaviour when the pair debated who was at fault in qualifying.
‘He always acts very nice here in front of the cameras. But when you’re in there it’s a completely different person. I can’t stand that,’ he said.
‘I’ve been in that meeting room many times with people that I’ve raced. And I’ve never seen anyone trying to screw someone over that hard. I lost all respect. It was ridiculous how he tried to force a penalty, and I was heavily p*****.’
