Child's birth will not disturb Verstappen's season

Apr.11 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s 2025 campaign will not skip a beat even though his first child is poised to be born.

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko told Kronen Zeitung newspaper that Kelly Piquet’s due date mercifully coincides with a rare gap in the busy Formula 1 calendar.

“The birth date does not clash with any of Max’s races,” he said. “It’s planned for the beginning of May.”

Verstappen, however, although fresh from his win from pole at Suzuka, insists he is not thinking about the title. “I’m just thinking about making my car faster right now.

“If we can’t get more speed out of it, we don’t need to be talking about the title.”

Marko agrees, telling Kleine Zeitung: “The car still needs more balance and still understeers too much right in the middle of the corner, which Max doesn’t like at all.

“If we can get that right, he’ll be able to do completely different things. That’s exactly what we’re working on. We can’t say when or how that will happen yet.”

There may be a turning point soon, though, as new images of extreme and clever McLaren ‘mini-DRS’ rear wing flex is doing the rounds on social media – shared even by Max’s father Jos.

“I’ve seen the videos, but I don’t make the rules,” quadruple world champion Verstappen, 27, said in Bahrain.

Another thing that helps Verstappen’s cause is the title fight between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, despite McLaren obviously having the fastest car.

“We’re happy when they take points away from each other,” Marko smiled.

“I do think Piastri is mentally stronger, even if Norris is faster on one lap.”

Norris also had to face questions from the media about Verstappen’s post-Suzuka suggestion that he would be absolutely dominating the 2025 season if he was in the orange car.

In Bahrain, Verstappen insisted he was “not joking”.

“I don’t care, he can say whatever he wants,” Norris responded. “I would love it if he came to test our car. And I’m curious to see the disappointment on his face when he gets out.”