Kelly Piquet's Mum blasts F1 champion over Max Verstappen retirement threat

Kelly Piquet deelt foto met dochter Lily en ontvangt reactie van Sophie Kumpen — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Kelly Piquet's Mum blasts F1 champion over Verstappen retirement threat

Verstappen is to blame for the latest spat about the F1 2026 regulations

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 2 April 2026 13:45

Max Verstappen's recent retirement threats have got the whole of the Formula 1 world talking.

At last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen cut a more fed up figure than ever this year, telling the BBC that pushing himself to give 100 per cent whilst racing machinery he strongly dislikes is 'not very healthy'.

After the first three races of the year, the 28-year-old has labelled his new RB22 'undriveable', summarising his experience of being at the wheel of the new car as 'emotionally draining', with reigning champion Lando Norris even suggesting he should retire if the new regulations are not to his liking.

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Whilst Dutch media reported from Suzuka that Verstappen is 'seriously considering' retirement, the man himself has said he is still giving 100 per cent, with Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies implying his star driver is committed to helping the team tackle their issues head on.

From pundits to fans and even family members, suggestions that the four-time champion should throw in the towel have not gone down well, with none other than Sylvia Tamsma, the mother of Verstappen's partner, Kelly Piquet, biting back over the topic.

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Damon Hill put in his place by Kelly Piquet's mum

Following the race at Suzuka where Verstappen crossed the line P8 in his new Red Bull, 1996 champion Damon Hillsaid on the BBC's F1 chequered flag podcast: "I think if you're not happy doing something then you should stop and do something else.

"I mean if he's saying this in order to get some leverage on the way things are at the moment, I don't think that will work, I think that approach where people will just say, 'well Max, go away and come back when you've had a think about it'.

"You can't always get what you want but the point is there are a lot of people talking about these regulations, from a driving point of view, as being not what they signed up for, not what people thought Formula 1 should be about.

Hill then weighed in on the controversial energy management required to handle the new cars, saying: "Of course I don't drive the cars anymore, but I can see from the onboard footage that it's a little bit weird when they're slowing down at the end of a long straight going into a braking point.

"That seems to be something we're going to have have to get used to or we'll never get used to, maybe that will be worked out through a regulation change or something first."

The former Sky Sports pundit then suggested Verstappen should retire if he isn't onboard with the new sport's new rules, adding: "He doesn't have to do this. He's earned an awful lot of money. He's a new dad as well, he's been doing it for a long time and I think maybe he needs a break."

It was this final comment that appeared to rile up Tamsma, with Piquet's mother taking to the comments of the BBC's Instagram post featuring Hill to make her dislike of the Brit's retirement suggestion blatantly clear.

The mother of Verstappen's partner and the ex-wife of three-time champion Nelson Piquet wrote underneath the BBC post: "O Damon , people need a break from your 'opinion'. Seems you’re too old to understand that not only Max but all drivers are complaining. Singeling (sic) out Max is quite nasty don’t you think?"

How long have Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet been together?

Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet have been together since 2020, with their relationship becoming official in January 2021.

The couple often publicly share insights into their life together via their own Instagram accounts, with Piquet also frequently attending a grand prix weekend in support of her F1 champion partner.

The pair welcomed their first daughter Lily in May 2025 prior to the Miami GP weekend, and Piquet also shares a daughter Penelope with former Red Bull F1 driver Daniil Kvyat.

Penelope, also known as P, is said to consider Verstappen a 'bonus dad'.

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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F1 Max Verstappen 2026 regulations Kelly Piquet