Max Verstappen revealed that the most difficult aspect of his Formula 1 routine is leaving his family to compete in races around the world. The Red Bull Racing driver stated that the goodbyes with his daughter Lily have become increasingly emotional as she grows up.
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In an interview with Formule 1 Magazine, the four-time world champion emphasized that family holds the most important place in his life. According to Verstappen, the arrival of his daughter changed his perspective and made traveling to GPs even more challenging.
“Our daughter Lily is my greatest achievement. Anyway, family is the most important thing to me,” said the Dutchman. Lily, Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet’s first daughter, was born before last year’s Miami GP, and according to the Dutch driver, she is now beginning to better understand what is happening around her.
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Verstappen said that a recent goodbye especially marked the start of another trip: “This is starting to happen now. When I was leaving home, she was standing near the elevator when I went in to go down. Then the doors closed, and that’s not a pleasant feeling,” he said. The driver explained that his daughter had just woken up and that he managed to spend a few moments with her before leaving: “I took her out of bed and gave her some affection, but then I had to leave. These are not pleasant moments when you have to go. You know it’s part of the job,” he added.
The Red Bull driver also recalled experiencing a similar situation during his childhood, when his father, Jos Verstappen, raced in F1: “I used to do that myself when I was little and my dad left home. I cried and everything. My dad also always found that difficult,” he concluded, drawing a parallel between the experience he had as a son and the one he faces now as a father.
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