Max Verstappen arrived for the 2025 Miami Grand Prix as a father for the first time, after he and long-time partner Kelly Piquet welcomed their daughter Lily into the world.

And the reigning four-time World Champion received a further boost in the form of an upgraded Red Bull RB21 floor for the Miami Grand Prix, an update which only his Red Bull is equipped with for the race weekend as team-mate Yuki Tsunoda continues with the old floor.

Max Verstappen and Red Bull: New floor a key boost?

On the eve of the Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen officially became a father, as he and Piquet took to social media on Friday to make the joyous announcement that Lily had been born, with both mother and child doing well.

From there, it was on to Miami for Verstappen, and after an at times challenging start to F1 2025 for the Dutchman – who has claimed just the one win in five grands prix at the start of his latest title defence – the introduction of a new floor for the RB21 will have been welcomed, as the team looks to iron out balance issues with their latest challenger.

Verstappen put the upgraded Red Bull RB21 floor into action for the first time on Friday, and secured P4 on the grid for Saturday’s sprint.

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It has been quite the hectic week so far for the 27-year-old, and speaking with ESPN, he gave an insight into the “very special” experience so far with Kelly and his daughter Lily.

“Luckily, I got to spend a few days with them once she was born,” he said. “It’s been great.

“You never really know what to expect, but it’s been very enjoyable and very special.”

It has been a race weekend of looking to the future in Miami. A bumper 10-year extension was announced for the Miami Grand Prix – securing it on the calendar until 2041 – while Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is waiting with bated breath to see the result of the Verstappen and Piquet bloodlines combined.

With seven World titles between the family names, perhaps Lily could follow in her father’s footsteps one day as a future Red Bull driver.

“He’s going to be a very present father, I’m sure,” Horner said of Verstappen at the Miami Grand Prix. “You’ve got to get involved with the nappies, in the middle of the night, all of that.

“It’s the most wonderful thing, welcoming a new addition to any family. Life will be very different for him now, in many respects, as a parent.

“But I’m just thinking – the genes of that child are quite incredible! When you think of Verstappen and Piquet – if it was a racehorse, it’d be worth a fortune! But yeah, it’s going to make life a little different for him.”

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