His girlfriend Kelly Piquet, daughter of ex-F1 driver Nelson Piquet, regularly supports him from within the paddock and is often in the front row of celebrations when Verstappen wins races.

Kelly has a four-year-old daughter whose father is Daniil Kyvat, the driver who Verstappen replaced at Red Bull.

In a rare comment about his personal relationships, Verstappen said to TIME: “I’m not the father, that’s not the aim.

“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’s main hobby away from the F1 track is simulator racing.

It means that, even when he’s not racing… he’s still racing.

“I watch other sports, but there’s nothing really that I’m really passionate about,” Verstappen said. 

Kelly Piquet said about his dedication: “There have been times where I’ve been like, ‘OK, time to switch off’.

“You have to give a gentle reminder that the sun is shining outside and, you know, there are other things to do.”