Max Verstappen asserts that his pole position for the Miami Grand Prix clearly demonstrates that becoming a father for the first time has not diminished his speed.
The Dutchman, who is chasing his fifth consecutive drivers` championship, narrowly beat Lando Norris of McLaren and Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes to secure his second pole position of the season.
Verstappen was excused from his scheduled media activities in Miami on Thursday. He delayed his arrival in the USA to remain with his partner Kelly Piquet following the birth of their daughter, Lily, earlier in the week.
During his absence on Thursday, some of Verstappen`s competitors were questioned by the media regarding whether they believed becoming a father might affect his performance on track.
Verstappen commented: “It was good to be able to spend a few days at home before coming here. When she`s just born, you want to make sure everything is okay.”
“Clearly, it didn`t make me slower either, being a dad. So, that`s a positive.”
“We can discard that notion for the people who were bringing it up.”
“I`m in constant communication with my girlfriend throughout the day anyway, getting pictures and doing a bit of FaceTime here and there. That connection is always there, but now there`s one more member in the family.”
All of Verstappen`s rivals queried on Thursday indicated that they did not anticipate him slowing down.
This group included Fernando Alonso, who is seen by some as having popularised this idea in 2005 when he famously stated he knew Michael Schumacher would yield in their battle at a high-speed Suzuka corner because the seven-time world champion “had a wife and two kids at home.”
When asked to elaborate on his remarks regarding speculation about his speed, Verstappen added: “I don`t really pay attention to such silly comments. I just focus on my job.”
“I believe there are plenty of racing drivers in the past who achieved world championships even after having children.”
“Honestly, I don`t even understand where that kind of talk originates.”
Horner: Max`s Ability to Focus is Insane
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner praised Verstappen`s remarkable “ability to focus” following the 27-year-old`s 43rd career pole position.
Horner stated: “He`s stepped up to another level by becoming a father; welcoming a beautiful little girl into the world is a monumental event for him.”
“But as we observe time and time again, when he steps across that line into the garage and puts his helmet on, everything else vanishes.”
“His capacity to focus and deliver is incredible. It`s truly impressive.”
Verstappen, who finished outside the points in the Sprint earlier on Saturday following an error by the Red Bull pit crew, later explained how he is able to compartmentalise different areas of his life.
He said: “By not investing a lot of emotion into many things.”
“Of course, with my baby, that`s something entirely different. I think I`ve never been that nervous while in a resting heart rate state.”
“But racing, I`ve been doing it for such a long time that nothing really fazes you anymore.”
“What I`ve maintained for a long time now is that once you`ve achieved your ambitions in the sport, in terms of winning races and championships, it also brings a great deal of relaxation.”
“Even if you experience a difficult day, it doesn`t truly matter. It`s about how you rectify situations, how you move forward from them, and it simply calms you down. You just concentrate on the next task, and that`s what qualifying was for me.”
