Verstappen: I don't like to be on the red carpet and dress in a suit
F1 NewsSaturday, 28 June 2025 at 14:08
Much has been made of Max Verstappen showing scant interest in the making of Brad Pitt's F1 movie, and he was a glaring absence when the team premiered during the week ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix. The World Champ explained why, for the first time
It was extensively reported that Verstappen did not attend the headline-grabbing F1 movie preview in New York, unlike the majority of his fellow Formula 1 drivers who attended. Around the same time of the NYC gig, Verstappen was doing his 'Franz Hermann' thing: testing an Aston Martin GT3 at Spa-Franorchamps.
Speaking to SunSport, the four-time F1 World Champion explained: “I don't like to be on the red carpet and dress up in a suit. I don't like to interact with people that I don't really know, and have a fake smile and fake chat. It’s horrible, I just don’t enjoy it.
“I prefer to hang out with my friends and spend time with my little family. I also have a lot of other projects going on outside of F1. So any extra work like red carpets is not what I want to do. I’m at a stage of my career where I’ve achieved so much professionally.
“I’m just focusing outside of it now, like my big passions to make life more enjoyable and not just being performance driven. Being authentic is not something I have to try and focus on. It’s just who I am."
Verstappen: Some nappies are smellier than others!
Verstappen and Kelly Piquet welcomed their newborn daughter, Lily, on May 1, 2025. This is their first child together, though Kelly is also the mother of five‑year‑old Penelope from a previous relationship with ex‑F1 driver Daniil Kvyat
It is well known how Verstappen vehemently protects his private life, but of his baby daughter Lily, he revealed: “It’s super cute. I’m trying to spend as much time making it all work. With the nappies, some are more smelly than others!”
Verstappen fanously went to 'war' with the FIA regarding the F1 governing body's crackdown on swearing in motorsport. He has lightened up this season, but remains less verbose than perhaps he would like to be. he explained: “I think it's a bit of a Dutch thing. I’m straightforward.
"I'm the same on track. I say the same in the paddock as I do with my friends. It’s important to be honest. When I’m not happy with something I say it, I let people know, that approach works really well for me.”
Verstappen: What I’m doing outside F1 makes me stay around a bit longer
Explaining his flirtation with GT3 testing and the 'Franz Hermann' alias, Verstappen said: “The fake name was because I wouldn’t be on the entry list. People would have known way far in advance and there would be way more people there.
“What I’m doing outside F1 makes me stay around a bit longer in F1. I’m trying to make it work and keep it fun. I want to get my license [], so I need to do a race in a slower car, so I’m planning on that.
“When you do things outside of F1, it’s more relaxed, which doesn’t mean it’s less professional and my desire to win is the same. It’s something I really enjoy exploring. It’s important to enjoy my time. Time passes so quickly and I want to look back and be around for my family," explained Verstappen.
The Dutch ace also defied a motorsport myth that having children, daughters in particular, tends to make race drivers slower. Instinctively keen to survive, it is said racers lose from lose anything up to one second in pace. Clearly this is not part of Verstappen's DNA.
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