Max Verstappen became a father to daughter Lily just over a year ago. Meanwhile, the Dutch F1 driver has learned a lot about fatherhood and the lessons he wants to pass on to his offspring. He knows that he can introduce his children to sports, but he never wants to push them to take a certain direction; that choice must ultimately be theirs.
In a new interview with Telesport, Verstappen is asked about daughter Lily and fatherhood. The four-time world champion himself has a close bond with his father Jos Verstappen, who introduced him to motorsport and supported him during his early racing career. The Red Bull driver explains that he wants to guide his children in a similar way, but especially does not want to push them to reach the top in a particular sport.
Free choice
“For me, the most important thing is that they can always be themselves,” Verstappen explained. “And from me, she (Lily, ed.) can completely decide for herself what she likes to do later. There are many parents who push their child and want to push them in a certain direction, for example in sports. You should not do that. I think you can introduce a child to certain sports, but ultimately they have to choose for themselves what they want to do.”
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Verstappen currently has one daughter with girlfriend Kelly Piquet. In addition, he calls himself the ‘bonus dad’ of Penelope (6), Piquet’s daughter from a previous relationship with Daniil Kvyat. The family of four lives in Monaco.
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