Max Verstappen opens up on missing his family in F1 grind

Max Verstappen has opened up about one of the biggest downsides to his F1 career – being kept away from his family for much of the year.

The Dutchman appears to be very family-oriented in his personal life, recently popping up in a number of pictures with his partner Kelly Piquet, her daughter Penelope and the pair's new baby Lily.

Verstappen was also pictured with his mother Sophie Kumpen, sister Victoria and her twin sons Luka and Lio on holiday, with the extended family appearing extremely close.

In an interview with The Athletic, Verstappen discussed at which age he would retire and admitted that living apart from his family was one of the more difficult elements of being a F1 driver.

“I feel like I’m already missing out so much on just being with my family,” Verstappen said.

“I spend holidays with them, but I really miss the moments of just casually rocking up for a weekend or just hanging out on the couch, sitting together on a lazy day, or just after a normal work day.

“We live quite far apart now, (so) these kinds of moments are not possible with my life. I hope one day that it can go back to that.”

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Verstappen misses family life

When quizzed on the age he will retire, Verstappen said: “I don’t know when that will stop. Is that 32? Is that 35? 36? I don’t know. It’s impossible to know.”

While family is Verstappen’s focus, racing remains a huge motivation for the champion, and not just in F1.

In previous interviews, the Dutchman has alluded to wanting to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the future and embarked on a GT3 test earlier this year, not to mention his commitment to sim racing during his down-time.

However, a one-off appearance at Le Mans would be nowhere near as commanding as a full-time F1 season and the media commitments piled on top of competing in the sport, freeing up plenty of time for the champion to spend with family.

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