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Max Verstappen Makes Rare Comment About 1-Year-Old Daughter Lily: ‘My Greatest Prize’ The four-time world champion racing driver welcomed his first child, daughter Lily, with his longtime partner Kelly Piquet in May 2025 By Skyler Caruso Skyler Caruso Skyler Caruso is a Staff Writer at PEOPLE. She joined the brand in 2021. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 14, 2026 03:36PM EDT Leave a Comment Max Verstappen and his daughter Lily in August 2025. Credit : Max Verstappen/Instagram NEED TO KNOW Max Verstappen says becoming a father to daughter Lily has shifted his priorities and changed his view on racingThe Formula 1 champion welcomed Lily with longtime partner Kelly Piquet in May 2025 ahead of the Miami Grand PrixVerstappen shared how fatherhood has deepened his bond with his own dad and influenced thoughts on retirement Max Verstappen has achieved a number of wins throughout his decorated Formula 1 career, but none of them compare to the special one that came into his life last year. When asked what was his greatest prize , the four-time world champion racing driver, 28, cited his firstborn child, daughter Lily, who he welcomed with his longtime partner Kelly Piquet in May 2025. “It’s that little one at home. That’s the best and most important thing. Our daughter Lily is my greatest prize. Family is by far the most important thing to me,” Verstappen told Formule 1 magazine on Tuesday, Aug. 4 of his little girl. Max Verstappen and his longtime girlfriend, Kelly Piquet. Mark Thompson/Getty Lily was born ahead of the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, and approximately one year later at the same event, Verstappen opened up to PEOPLE exclusively about how his perspective on his career and future has changed since becoming a father. “More nerve wracking, I guess, as a parent,” he told PEOPLE trackside at the Red Bull Energy Station. Earlier this season, Verstappen opened up about the possibility of retirement since welcoming his daughter. He also told PEOPLE how his relationship with his own dad has changed since entering parenthood himself. Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet with their daughter Lily in May 2025. Max Verstappen/Instagram “It’s a really cool story to be able to have done that together,” he shared. “It’s probably something that we will think about and cherish for life. You give up a lot of your time to try and get to your end goal, and of course we’ve done that, we did that.” “It’s still a very beautiful story,” added the Red Bull Racing athlete. Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now! Verstappen, who said becoming a father is something he has “always wanted,” shared with PEOPLE at the Miami Grand Prix how parenthood has shifted his priorities and how it has changed the way he views racing. “For me, it’s just really nice to be able to spend time now together,” he said at the time. “And also, for me, racing is fun, it’s great, but it’s also a nice thing to be home.” Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field with PEOPLE’s free sports newsletter — sign up now! Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing ahead of the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan in March 2026. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Verstappen, 28, who made his relationship with Piquet, 37, public in 2020, admitted there have been “no real surprises” since Lily was born. “I just love it,” he said. He emphasized, “I mean, it’s just great to be able to spend time at home.” Related Stories Max Verstappen Gives Rare Insight on Navigating Parenthood with Longtime Girlfriend Kelly Piquet (Exclusive) Max Verstappen Reveals He’s Achieved His ‘End Goal’ at Age 28 While Reflecting on Storied F1 Career (Exclusive) Verstappen is embracing the girl dad life, and Lily’s feelings towards the racer seem to be reciprocated. “She seems to like me a lot, so that’s good,” he said. “We spend a lot of private time at home, so it’s just really cute.” Close Leave a Comment Read More: Celebrity Celebrity Family Celebrity Parenting