Kelly Piquet and Max Verstappen: her life, their relationship, and family rumors

Kelly Piquet and Max Verstappen: her life, their relationship, and the family rumors that follow F1’s most-watched couple

If there’s one love story that reliably steals a little spotlight from the lights-out grid, it’s Kelly Piquet and Max Verstappen. She’s a polyglot, globe-trotting creative with paddock roots and a career of her own; he’s a generational talent whose speed has redefined the modern F1 era. Together, they’re a power couple living life in the fast lane—quite literally. Here’s a deep dive into who Kelly is beyond the headlines, how the pair found each other, and what’s real (and not) about those ever-present family rumors.

Who is Kelly Piquet?

• Family and early life: Born December 7, 1988, Kelly Piquet is the daughter of three-time Formula 1 World Champion Nelson Piquet and Dutch model Sylvia Tamsma. She spent much of her childhood in the South of France before moving to Brazil at age 12. That bicontinental upbringing—Brazilian warmth, European polish—shows up in everything from her language skills to her style.
• Education: Kelly later moved to New York, studying International Relations at Marymount Manhattan College—handy training for a life lived on airplanes, in mixed cultures, and under a global spotlight.
• Career: She has carved out her own path as a model, columnist, and social media storyteller. Beyond fashion and lifestyle projects, she’s worked in communications and PR, including in motorsport (notably Formula E), which gave her a professional vantage point inside the racing world—well before her life intersected publicly with Verstappen’s.

Max Verstappen, the racer who made F1 look simple

Max Verstappen burst into F1 as a teenager and grew into a ruthlessly efficient, records-rewriting driver. Off-track he’s the paradox fans know well: ferocious on Sundays, fiercely private the rest of the week. Monaco is home base, the inner circle is small, and the downtime is guarded—habits that dovetail neatly with Kelly’s own measured approach to public life.

How Kelly and Max became Kelly-and-Max

• The meet and the moment: Circles overlapped first. Kelly was a paddock-fluent presence thanks to family and work; Max was climbing into the stratosphere. After Kelly’s split from former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat, she and Max were first linked publicly in late 2020, reportedly after spending time in Monaco. They made it Instagram-official soon after.
• The rhythm since: Their relationship has unfolded in curated glimpses—quiet pre-race rituals, off-season trips, birthdays, and the occasional behind-the-scenes garage moment. Kelly shows up as a supportive but unobtrusive presence on race weekends; the racing is Max’s job, the relationship is theirs.

Kelly’s life as a mother—and the family picture

• Penelope: Kelly shares a daughter, Penelope (born July 2019), with Daniil Kvyat. Co-parenting has remained cordial and low-drama, with Kelly sharing only thoughtfully chosen moments from family life.
• Reports of a new baby with Max: In 2025, a wave of reports and social chatter surfaced claiming Kelly and Max welcomed their first child together—a daughter, widely reported as “Lily”—in May 2025. As of publication, the couple has kept any such development very private and has not issued a detailed public announcement. Out of respect for that privacy, specifics remain their story to tell. What’s clear is that their home life, however configured, is deliberately kept a half-step away from the circus.

Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet welcome baby girl Lily

Max Verstappen and partner Kelly Piquet have announced the arrival of their first child together, a daughter named Lily.

On May 2, 2025, ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet announced the birth of their daughter, Lily.

The news followed a brief update from Red Bull ahead of Miami Grand Prix media day, confirming Verstappen would skip Thursday’s duties to be with his family, while stressing that everything was fine and he would be back at the circuit on Friday to begin his race weekend.

Lily’s birth caps a quiet, joyfully managed chapter that began when the couple revealed they were expecting around the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi. She joins Piquet’s daughter, Penelope, as a younger sibling in their growing family.

Word of the new arrival drew warm wishes across the paddock. Nico Hülkenberg joked that the best gift for any new parent is a baby who sleeps well, adding that fatherhood comes with countless small joys. Lewis Hamilton offered heartfelt congratulations, recalling how excited Verstappen sounded when they spoke earlier in the season. George Russell echoed the sentiment, noting that while parenthood is life-changing, he doesn’t expect it to alter Verstappen’s razor-sharp professionalism on track.

With Lily’s arrival, Verstappen adds “dad” to a list of titles already headlined by World Champion—another milestone for F1’s standout star as the season rolls on.

Inside the dynamic: partnership, pace, and privacy

• Paddock presence: Kelly understands the cadence of a race week and the tunnel vision elite driving requires. That shows in her low-key routine around the garage and grid—supportive, rarely center stage.
• Careers that travel well: Max’s calendar is immovable; Kelly’s work—brand partnerships, editorial projects, content—travels with her. The logistics are complex; the coordination is impressive.
• Social media: Expect polished windows into life, not open curtains. Milestones do surface, but on their timing and terms.

The narrative fans love to debate

• “The Kvyat-to-Verstappen switch”: Fans often point out that Max replaced Daniil Kvyat at Red Bull in 2016 and, years later, began a relationship with Kelly—creating a neat, soap-operatic storyline. Reality is less scripted: relationships evolve, timelines are longer than memes, and all parties have kept public commentary respectful.
• Engagements, weddings, baby watch: Ring-spotting, outfit-reading, and caption analysis drive recurring rumor cycles. As of now, there’s no official confirmation of an engagement or wedding. On the family front, reports in 2025 suggest a new baby; the couple’s consistent pattern is to share personal news sparingly, if at all.

Why Kelly resonates—beyond the surname

• Paddock-fluent and media-savvy: She knows the sport from the inside and the outside—and where to draw the line.
• Global ease: Brazil, France, the Netherlands, Monaco, New York—her life reads like an international grid. The result is a calm, cosmopolitan presence in an overheated ecosystem.
• Independent profile: Kelly’s career in media, fashion, and communications predates (and stands apart from) her relationship with Max.

Quick hits (the FAQs)

• Are Kelly Piquet and Max Verstappen engaged or married?
  There’s no official announcement to date.
• Do Kelly and Max have a child together?
  In 2025, multiple reports claimed they welcomed a daughter in May. The couple has kept any details private and has not made a comprehensive public announcement.
• How did they meet?
  They moved in the same motorsport circles for years and were first publicly linked in late 2020, reportedly after spending time in Monaco.
• Does Kelly work in motorsport?
  Yes—via communications and content roles, including with Formula E—alongside modeling and brand/editorial projects.
• Do Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet live together?
  Yes. Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet live together in Monaco, where they are raising Penelope and Lily. Their Monaco home is also shared with a fun collection of pets — cats Jimmy, Sassy, and Donatello, along with a dachshund.
• Where do they live?
  They spend significant time in Monaco and travel extensively.

Kelly Piquet and Max Verstappen are a study in the modern F1 partnership: globally minded, brand-savvy, and determined to control their own narrative. She brings heritage and hard-earned credibility; he brings era-defining talent. Together they’ve built a life that keeps the noise at arm’s length without losing touch with the fans who keep the sport spinning.

Father Nelson Piquet Sr.

Growing up, Kelly Piquet never had to look far to find Formula 1—her father is Nelson Piquet, the Brazilian icon who conquered the 1980s with three world titles. Kelly arrived just after his final crown, born on December 7, 1988, in Homburg, Germany, so her memories aren’t of the grandstands but of a cosmopolitan childhood shaped by the sport’s orbit. She spent her early years in the south of France before moving to Brazil at 12, then headed to England for studies between 15 and 17. Later, New York beckoned, where she attended Marymount Manhattan College. With that kind of international upbringing and a front-row seat to racing culture, it’s little wonder her path eventually intersected with Max Verstappen’s in the F1 world.

Career of Kelly Piquet

Kelly Piquet has built a multifaceted career that spans fashion, motorsport media, and wellness. She first broke into modeling with brands such as PatBO and Lucas Boccalão, adding a slate of runway appearances to her portfolio before broadening her work behind the scenes.

In 2015, she stepped into the racing arena professionally by managing social media content for Formula E, blending her communications skills with her longstanding ties to motorsport. Since then, she’s grown a substantial digital presence—her Instagram audience numbers around 1.4 million, where she regularly partners with fashion and jewelry labels. She also curates product recommendations on LTK, including beauty picks followed by a smaller community of 693 users.

Family Rumors and Public Interest

Their relationship has sparked interest and speculation, particularly around the dynamics of Kelly’s past with Daniil Kvyat and the timing of her relationship with Max. Fans have pointed out that Max, in a way, replaced Kvyat both professionally in Formula 1 and personally in Kelly’s life. Despite any rumors, Kelly and Max seem to have built a grounded partnership, balancing their busy public personas with private family life.

More recently, while based in Monaco with partner Max Verstappen, Piquet has expanded into health and wellness coaching, a focus highlighted on her personal website—rounding out a career that’s equal parts style, storytelling, and lifestyle guidance.

Editor’s note: This piece reflects publicly available information and widely circulated reports as of September 2025. Where family matters are concerned, the couple has chosen privacy; details may evolve, and we’ll update if and when they share more.

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