Kelly Piquet DEFIANT after huge Verstappen controversy

Max Verstappen's driving has been called into question after the Mexican GP

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 30 October 2024 22:56 Updated: 09:27

Kelly Piquet has publicly backed her partner Max Verstappen, after he was involved in a controversial incident at the Mexican Grand Prix.

The Dutchman endured a nightmare weekend in Mexico City, as not only did his lead in the drivers’ standings take a hit, but Verstappen was also slammed for his driving style once again.

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Only the week before in Austin, Verstappen’s tactics forced Lando Norris to overtake him off-track, a move that saw the McLaren star handed a five-second time penalty and secured third place for the Red Bull champion.

Verstappen’s aggressive racing style once again came to the fore at the Mexican GP, however this time it was met less kindly by the stewards.

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Once again the champion battled Norris for position, however this time it was the Brit who got ahead first at the apex, which according to the FIA meant he should have been afforded more room.

Verstappen’s failure to give him space saw him awarded a 10-second time penalty, on top of another 10 seconds for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

As a result, Verstappen finished the race in P6, and is now just 47 points ahead of Norris in the drivers’ standings, but has also left many in doubt over his racing capabilities, including Toto Wolff , who accused him of 'dirty driving'.

However, Verstappen appears to have one supporter at least, in the form of his partner Piquet, who took to social media to express her stance on the matter.

Verstappen posted to his Instagram and bemoaned the tough outing in Mexico, writing: "A bad day lacking race pace. I know we can do much better, so let’s keep pushing. Onwards to Brazil!"

In response, Piquet took to the comments section and made her perspective abundantly clear, writing: "They can try to stop you but they won’t succeed."

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Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Brazilian Grand Prix Mexican Grand Prix Kelly Piquet