Despite having multiple pet cats, Max Verstappen is admittedly a dog person. The Dutchman has owned two cats for a while and also recently got another kitten named ‘Donatello’. However, he has also had a canine in the past and seems to have added another one to his family.
Previously an owner to two Bengal cats, Verstappen explicitly confirmed at the Las Vegas GP that he got another kitten. But the news of him adopting another dog has come out via gossip pages on social media. @f1gossippofficial revealed on Instagram that Verstappen‘s girlfriend Kelly Piquet was spotted with a puppy at an event in Monaco.
Apparently, she had been spotted with this dog previously as well. The page also stated that the Red Bull driver also teased about this dog — who seems to be of the Dachshund breed — by stating that he likes Dachshund sausages.
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If these rumors are true, Verstappen currently has a total of four pets, which may be the highest count among all F1 drivers. There was also a notion that the Dutchman only liked cats, owing to the encyclopedia-like knowledge he had about them.
In a fun activity with Red Bull once, the 27-year-old was able to accurately name almost every cat breed. However, he has stated that he likes dogs as well, and this isn’t the first time Verstappen has had a canine.
Verstappen may be a dog person but prefers having cats as pets
The Red Bull driver used to own a dog named ‘Spyke’, who passed away in December 2020 after living for 11 years. He posted about the same on Instagram, expressing grief about the same.
“My little friend is no more… rest in peace Spyke, 11 years I won’t forget…,” he wrote in the caption.
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Now, that ain’t the reason why the Dutchman did not adopt another dog right away. He stated in an interview that he feels cats are more “self-sufficient” than the canines. So, when he is away for most of the year due to his packed F1 schedule, his pet cats can stay without much attention and care.
“When I’m traveling a lot to take care of a dog, it’s like a child. So it’s a bit more difficult,” Verstappen said. This makes sense as many drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been seen bringing their pet dogs to the paddock. The reigning world champion perhaps doesn’t believe that he can juggle racing with taking care of his dog.
