Max Verstappen has finally clinched his much anticipated third world championship following his second-place finish during the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race on Saturday. In the process, he also joined an elite group of drivers who have won three world titles. One of the drivers the Dutchman has now matched is Nelson Piquet, the father of his girlfriend, Kelly Piquet. Moreover, Kelly listed another similarity they share besides their three world titles.
Since Kelly’s father and brother were both involved in F1, she believes she understands the sport well. While speaking to Dutch Vogue in an interview last year, the 34-year-old said (as quoted by gpblog.com), “I was always very involved in my brother’s career. I’ve experienced the ups and downs, and seen what pressure does to someone. This world is so familiar to me. I know what those guys go through“.
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In the same interview, she then added how Verstappen is similar to her father. Kelly praised the Dutchman for always having his “feet firmly on the ground” and not having an interest “in fame or material things.”
After stating the same, she concluded her remarks by stating, “I realize more and more how similar he is to my father.” Now, with Verstappen having won his third title, Kelly informed her fans about another similarity her boyfriend shares with her father.
Kelly points out how Verstappen has followed her father’s footsteps
Taking to Instagram, Kelly Piquet put up a story to point out a unique stat that Max Verstappen has now matched Nelson Piquet in following his third championship victory. She reposted a post from ESPN F1 that noted that the Dutchman is the first driver since the Brazilian to win the title on a Saturday.
Nelson won three championships, and two of them he won on a Saturday. The first title he won on a Saturday came back in 1981 when he finished fifth at the season finale in Las Vegas.
Two years later, he won his second championship on a Saturday by finishing third in the season finale in Kyalami, South Africa. With Verstappen now matching Nelson’s record of three championships, an IndyCar champion explained the key to the 26-year-old’s success.
Alex Palou believes Max Verstappen is successful because he has an older partner
While speaking on The Red Flags Podcast earlier this year, Alex Palou explained how 34-year-old Kelly Piquet could be a reason for the success Max Verstappen has achieved so far. When asked if having an older partner was the key to his and the Dutchman’s success, Palou replied, “Yes. I think so; experience“.
Since Kelly comes from a family of racers, she has the experience of going through the ups and downs, as he herself pointed out in an interview. As a result, she also has the capability of helping Verstappen manage his emotions better when things perhaps do not go his way.
