With Max Verstappen and his partner Kelly Piquet expecting their first child, we are on the brink of Verstappen’s decline.

That is the claim coming from Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko, yet he does not believe Verstappen losing pace is going to be a “problem” for the team.

Max Verstappen set to become ‘three-tenths slower’

In the lead-up to the F1 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen broke the news on social media that he and Kelly were expecting their first child together.

It served to add even more feel-good to what had already been a brilliant 2024 for Verstappen, the Dutchman having seen off the threat of McLaren’s Lando Norris to secure his fourth Drivers’ Championship in as many seasons.

But, as he looks to make it five in a row in F1 2025, Verstappen could find himself battling his own drop in performance.

“Generally people say that after their first child drivers will drive three-tenths slower,” Marko claimed in an interview with RTL.

On the face of it, that would be a major threat to Verstappen and Red Bull, considering the potential which F1 2025 holds to be a classic with Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all battling at the front.

But, a Verstappen decline is “no problem” in Marko’s view.

“That means Max will be within reach of some of the top drivers,” Marko continued, “but he would still be a bit ahead of them, so that means there’s no problem.”

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However, someone who does not share Marko’s theory is Max’s father Jos Verstappen.

Instead, he thinks the idea that a racing driver slows down when he has a child in their life is not true at all.

“No, that’s bull**t,” he told De Telegraaf. “I think it just motivates. It didn’t bother me before.

“Max has known for a while that he’s going to be a father. That thought hasn’t exactly bothered him.

“Just look at how he won the race in Brazil. He already knew then, and so did I.

“It may sound crazy, but I knew he was going to be a father before he even told me. I’m not crazy Henkie. I saw it coming. I know my son well and only have to look at him.

“For him, I am very happy. Of course, there are some things involved, but he has to experience all that.”

Max has a new Red Bull team-mate for F1 2025, with Liam Lawson stepping up from Racing Bulls after the departure of Sergio Perez.

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