MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Max Verstappen, the Formula 1 world champion, demonstrated that becoming a father hasn`t impacted his speed, as he impressively clinched pole position in Miami on Saturday, much to the disappointment of anyone who thought parenthood might slow him down.
Following a difficult sprint race earlier, Verstappen bounced back powerfully on Saturday afternoon, taking pole from Lando Norris of McLaren by just 0.065 seconds at the circuit surrounding Hard Rock Stadium. It was a display of routine dominance from the four-time world champion.
With rain potentially looming – conditions where Verstappen`s extraordinary skill becomes even more apparent – a second victory of the season appears highly probable for Sunday`s Grand Prix. Despite discussions about McLaren`s performance this year, Verstappen remains a strong title contender, and a win would solidify this.
His pole position on Saturday effectively silenced a major talking point of the week. The 27-year-old missed Thursday`s media day, arriving late in Miami after the birth of his daughter, Lily, with girlfriend Kelly Piquet. A common motor racing belief suggests a driver`s first child can cost them lap time, a notion Verstappen was quick to address in his post-qualifying press conference.
“Clearly, being a dad didn`t make me slower, so that`s a positive,” Verstappen commented. “So we can dismiss that idea as well, for those who were talking about it.”
This notion is a long-standing cliche. Recently, some supporters of this idea pointed to Fernando Alonso`s famous 2005 quote about Michael Schumacher at Suzuka`s 130R corner: “I knew he would brake because he has a wife and two kids at home,” young Alonso had proudly stated. It was a characteristic remark driven by youthful confidence.
Two decades later, during media sessions before this weekend, Alonso laughed about the quote, saying he no longer holds that belief. However, the general narrative about parenthood affecting performance persists beyond his specific comment.
“I don`t really pay attention to these sorts of silly ideas, I just focus on my job,” Verstappen stated. “I believe there are plenty of racing drivers throughout history who became world champions even after having children. Honestly, I`m not sure where this idea originated.”
Besides his qualifying speed, historical examples also back up Verstappen`s point. Nelson Piquet, Lily`s grandfather, is one driver who won a championship after becoming a father. Michael Schumacher, Graham Hill, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, and Nico Rosberg are other champions who achieved this.
Verstappen`s concentration clearly hasn`t wavered. He mentioned in his press conference that he had been “getting pictures and on FaceTime a bit,” but it`s perhaps not surprising that a driver accustomed to all-night gaming sessions before winning F1 races could maintain his usual performance level.
Those who suggested fatherhood might make a difference for him were likely just engaging in wishful thinking.
Max Verstappen secured pole position in Miami on Saturday, shortly after the birth of his daughter.
Lando`s Miami Fortune
Shifting focus from the fatherhood discussion, the front row features Verstappen against Norris, a familiar pairing from 2024 often leading to exciting races.
Norris confessed his sprint race win earlier was lucky, thanks to a perfectly timed safety car that put him ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri. A safety car also helped him beat Verstappen for his first F1 win here a year ago.
“My luck in Miami seems quite good right now, so I`m pleased,” Norris remarked after the sprint. Piastri, conversely, joked he wouldn`t be buying a lottery ticket there soon.
Luck is subjective. It`s debatable if Norris` luck lasted into qualifying. He might have taken pole without a mistake in Turn 17, but he`ll be relieved his teammate starts fourth.
Beating Verstappen will be hard, but given recent concerns about Norris`s form, finishing ahead of Piastri this weekend seems crucial for him.
Antonelli`s Promising Weekend
However, the focus wasn`t only on them; another driver also had a significant Saturday.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli`s excitement from taking sprint pole Friday faded quickly. He lost the lead at Turn 1 to Piastri and later had a pit lane incident with Verstappen, dropping him back.
Despite these issues, his qualifying performance was strong, securing third place as an impressive comeback. Antonelli has impressed in his rookie season, but this is his first weekend consistently faster than teammate George Russell, previously seen as a potential outsider for the title.
Antonelli holds several `youngest` records, including being the youngest F1 pole-sitter after Friday. Verstappen, holder of many similar records, believes the Mercedes rookie will continue to improve.
Asked about Antonelli`s performance, Verstappen said he wasn`t surprised. “When you just start in Formula 1, there`s so much to learn,” he said, “and to already be at this pace is very impressive, but I`m not surprised. He`ll only get better, to be honest. I think it`s as simple as that.”
When asked the same question, Norris light-heartedly remarked, “I think that`s given him enough of an ego boost!”
Norris then added seriously: “Similarly, he`s in Formula 1 because he deserves to be. His career before this was very strong. He has an excellent teammate, George Russell, who has beaten Lewis Hamilton in recent years. If he can now outperform George, he`s clearly doing an exceptional job.”
Hearing their comments, Antonelli playfully raised his microphone and said, “You`re too kind!”
