Max Verstappen has an incredible presence of mind on the race track. The Dutchman can’t seem to miss anything while driving around circuits at 200 mph+. Verstappen has demonstrated this trait even before his dominance in recent years. Back at the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he shrewdly noticed via his team radio that Ferrari were pitting, just by the noise of their wheel guns. Four years later, the Red Bull driver also showed his astute hearing ability at the 2023 Spanish GP about Helmut Marko’s calls. However, there is one person who could make Verstappen lose his focus while racing – Penelope Kvyat.
Kelly Piquet’s daughter, Penelope, has been a part of Verstappen’s family now for a while. The duo often have some cute wholesome moments that get caught on camera mainly at their home. Verstappen fondly calls her P and she often comes to disturb and distract him, while the Dutchman is competing in sim racing.
There have been several such instances when clips of Verstappen’s Twitch streams show Penelope distracting him while he is racing on his simulator. A recent footage on Twitter (now X) shows the 4-year-old coming to the Red Bull driver with her balloon.
This startled Verstappen as he was reacting to P and suddenly realized he may lose control of his online car. But it just shows how only Penelope could be the person who could distract Verstappen’s focus when he is racing.
Max Verstappen uses sim racing as a serious tool to hone his skills
Max Verstappen lives and breathes racing. Thus, whenever he gets free time, the Dutchman engages in sim racing at home. While this is something that is a hobby for him, it also helps the three-time champion hone his racing skills for the big days in F1.
Verstappen is completely dedicated when he races online on his simulator. He likes to keep it as realistic to the real-life car experience as possible. Especially on race days, the 26-year-old keeps it very serious around his simulator at the Red Bull motorhome.
As quoted by GP Blog, he stated, “I make sure no one is interfering. I close the doors and no one is allowed within 10 meters of my simulator.”
Verstappen believes sim racing is very helpful for a racing driver to improve his abilities. One can hone their adaptability to different track types and racing conditions, given how advanced the modern-day simulator rigs have become.
