Max Verstappen’s partner Kelly Piquet was less than enthusiastic when the Red Bull Racing driver revealed he would spend his rare free weekends this spring racing at the Nurburgring, according to GPFans.
The 28-year-old Dutchman is balancing his Formula 1 commitments with an intensive endurance racing program at the German circuit, competing in the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie ahead of the 24 Hours Nurburgring in May. The twice-around-the-clock race falls between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix, a scheduling window Verstappen could not resist.
Verstappen’s Nurburgring program
Verstappen drives his own Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in the top-tier SP9 class, fielded by Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing. This weekend he competed in the NLS4 round, though Saturday’s race was cancelled after less than 30 minutes following a seven-car accident that claimed the life of 66-year-old driver Juha Miettinen.
The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia race cancellations earlier this season gave Verstappen a five-week break from Formula 1 — time he opted to fill with NLS qualifying rounds rather than downtime in Monaco.
Family time vs racing commitments
During a recent live appearance for Viaplay titled “An Evening with Max Verstappen,” the Red Bull driver emphasized his love for home life, particularly after welcoming daughter Lily with Piquet in April 2025.
When asked what he enjoys most at home, Verstappen said: “Spending time with my little one (daughter Lily, ed.). I love being at home. As you get older, you appreciate time with friends and family even more.”
Pressed on why he was adding more NLS races despite professing to love being at home, Verstappen explained the domestic exchange that followed the F1 calendar changes.
“I’ll have to bring that up at home. The other day it was: ‘Hey, two races have been cancelled in April!’ Then I had to say: ‘Yes, but…’ Then she [Piquet] says: ‘Do you really have to?’ And then I say: ‘Yes, I have to, haha.'”
The exchange reveals the tension between Verstappen’s competitive drive and the value he places on family time — a balance increasingly relevant as his daughter grows older and his racing commitments extend beyond Formula 1 into endurance competition.
Verstappen will return to Nurburgring action for the NLS5 round ahead of the 24 Hours race in May, before the F1 season resumes with the Miami Grand Prix.