Kelly Piquet is the partner of Max Verstappen, with the couple recently having welcomed a baby girl. However, Kelly’s connection to Formula 1 stretches far beyond just her relationship with Verstappen. She is also the daughter of three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet. Her brother, Nelson Piquet Jr., is also a Formula E champion. Outside the world of motorsports, Kelly has had a successful career in the world of PR, modeling, and journalism.
Kelly Piquet was born on 7th December 1988 to Nelson Piquet and Dutch model, Sylvia Tamsma. Although she was born in Germany, she lived in the south of France till the age of 12. She then moved to Brazil. After doing schooling in the two countries, as well as England, Kelly moved to New York to pursue a BA in International Relations at Marymount Manhattan College.
After her education, Piquet started her career in the fashion industry. She’s been a stylist for Vogue Latinoamerica and worked at Bergdorf Goodman. The Brazilian has also been a model for brands like Tiffany and Louis Vuitton.
The 36-year-old has also worked as a columnist for Marie Claire as well as been a Social Media and PR Consultant for Formula E holdings. Now, she is a Health and Wellness Coach for the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She also has a considerable social media presence, having amassed 2 million Instagram followers.
From 2017 to 2019, Kelly Piquet was in a relationship with Daniil Kvyat. Kvyat was racing for the Toro Rosso team in F1 at the time. They welcomed a baby daughter in 2019, Penelope, and continue to co-parent her. Piquet then started dating Max Verstappen in 2020. The couple welcomed their baby daughter Lily at the start of May this year.
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Max Verstappen shares that his daughter is very attached to Kelly Piquet
Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Max Verstappen found himself behind the wheel of the Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Verstappen drove the road car for a video for the YouTube channel The Inside Track, where he spoke about his first month as a parent. The four-time World Champion shared that the first month has been relatively easy, with his baby still attached to her mother, Kelly Piquet. The Dutchman explained that right now all he’s trying to do is keep the household calm.
“Luckily, not too hectic,” Verstappen said. “I think anyway as a dad in the beginning, they’re so attached to the mom, you’re more like a passenger, and you’re just making sure everyone is doing well and there’s not too much chaos.”
The Red Bull driver also opened up about whether his new baby has changed him as a driver. Verstappen shares that he’s able to split his duties as a father when he’s on or off-track. He admits to being completely focused during the races, and being grateful for a little girl to go back to at home.
“No, I don’t think you should change a driver to be honest. Once I get to the track, I know what I have to do and I know what needs to be done. So I’m very focused on that. But it’s just nice that when you go home, there’s a little girl just there.” [Quotes via GP Blog]
Verstappen is also very close with Kelly Piquet’s first born Penelope. The five-year-old has been seen at tracks during race weekends, and has made multiple appearances during the Dutchman’s gaming streams.
