Max Verstappen missed his Thursday media duties ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix. He and his girlfriend Kelly Piquet are expecting their first child imminently.
Red Bull say that Verstappen will still take a full part in the Miami weekend. The Sprint format means there will be one hour-long practice session on Friday before the competitive running.
Piquet, the daughter of Formula 1 world champion Nelson, announced that she was pregnant in December. It was reported last year that Verstappen wouldn’t miss any races, even if his child were born on a Grand Prix weekend.
The Dutchman knows that any absence could be decisive in the Formula 1 title race. He’s 12 points behind current leader Oscar Piastri.
McLaren look like the strong favourites on current form, but Red Bull hope that the Spanish Grand Prix rule changes could change everything. They believe that a clampdown on front-wing flexibility will hurt Zak Brown’s squad considerably.
F1 fans joke about Max Verstappen missing Miami Grand Prix media day, ‘how unfortunate…’
When one Reddit user shared the news of Verstappen’s Thursday absence, multiple fans made the same joke. He seems to have developed a growing dislike for interviews.
Indeed, insiders have noticed that Verstappen has been more blunt with the media this season. He told Sky F1 commentator David Croft to ‘stick to commentating’ when he was pressed on his Red Bull future before Saudi Arabia.
As such, it’s a perfect scenario for Verstappen if he can skip his press duties but still race in the Miami Grand Prix. Of course, he’ll still be duty-bound to speak to broadcasters and news outlets from Friday onwards.
“Max couldn’t have dreamed for [a] more wonderful day,” one fan wrote. “Seeing his first child being born into this world AND he gets to skip media day? What a blessed day for him.”
“That’s some elite-level planning, he misses the media day and can still race tomorrow,” another wrote.
A fellow user joked that Verstappen ‘hates media day so much’ that he formulated the ultimate ‘excuse’. It was ‘as if he planned it’.
Another member of the community called it ‘the most Max plan ever’. One final fan sarcastically wrote, ‘How unfortunate, he must be devastated’.
How Max Verstappen’s child could impact his F1 future
Before the Saudi Arabian GP, it emerged that Verstappen could take a sabbatical in 2026. The theory originated from an individual close to the Dutchman.
It’s worth stressing that the world champion himself hasn’t said anything to fuel the story. But it would give him the opportunity to spend more time with his infant.
In a sporting sense, he could assess the competitive landscape under the new ruleset ahead of a potential 2027 comeback. Virtually every team on the grid would make accommodations to sign him.
While his child won’t remember whether or not he was there at first, Ralf Schumacher says Verstappen may be tempted to take a break to prioritise his family life.
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