Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has said he has a good relationship with the daughter of his girlfriend Kelly Piquet and her ex-boyfriend, racing driver Daniil Kvyat.
Piquet dated the Russian former F1 driver from 2017 to 2019 and had a daughter together, Penelope, just months before they split.
Verstappen rarely opens up about his personal life, however, speaking to TIME magazine, he provided an insight into his happy home life, including his relationship with four-year-old Penelope.
“I’m not the father, that’s not the aim,” said Verstappen.
“It’s always very important that she has a good relationship with her own father, which she has.
"But I see her every day when I’m at home. We get on very well. She’s very cute.”
Verstappen, when not touring with the world with F1, resides in Monaco. The 26-year-old admits that he finds it difficult to switch off from racing, furthered by his ownership of an E-sports team, RedLine.
This motorsport obsession sometimes leads to him being reminded by his partner that there is more to life than sport.
“There have been times where I’ve been like, ‘OK, time to switch off,’” Piquet said.
“You have to give a gentle reminder that the sun is shining outside and, you know, there are other things to do.”