Max Verstapen's attitude towards racing will shift once he becomes a father, believes nine-time 24 Hour of Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. Verstappen's love for racing is well known as he often spends his free time away from the F1 race track competing in sim races at home. The four-time champion has already fashioned himself into one of the most successful drivers of all time and enters the upcoming F1 campaign looking to claim his fifth title - a feat achieved by just three drivers throughout the sport's history. However, 2025 is also set to be the year Verstappen will become a father, with the Dutchman and his partner Kelly Piquet announcing last December that they were expecting their first child together. Speaking on the latest episode of the RacingNews365 podcast, nine-time Le Mans winner Kristensen believes Verstappen's hunger for racing will change when his first baby is born. “It [his affection for racing] will change a little bit when he becomes a father, I'm sure,” Kristensen said. “But I’m sure when he becomes a father, there will be even more in his life than just racing - hopefully!” Verstappen asserted to media including RacingNews365 last year that the big change in his life will not impact his F1 duties. "Honestly I have done it already, so it is not like it is completely new for me," Verstappen said, referring to Piquet's daughter Penelope, who is seen in the Red Bull driver's live streams and at race events. "Now it is my DNA, let’s say it like that, but I think it is absolutely fine and I know the baby will be in good hands anyway. So for me, you focus on your racing and then go back to your family."
'Verstappen can miss a few hours of racing'
However, Verstappen has long voiced unease over the expanding F1 calendar, with the upcoming year set to feature another jam-packed 24-race schedule. He has also taken issues with the introduction of sprint weekends and was disgruntled by the press conference swearing incident in Singapore last year which landed him a community service punishment from the FIA. Despite Verstappen's declaration that his new child will not alter his career, Kristensen does not quite see it that way. “Yes, I believe it does [change things] for everyone,” Kristensen said when asked if having his own children impacted his career. “It changes a bit, but I would say it only makes you stronger. “It makes you [think] a little bit of trying to make sure that you manage your time [better] and optimise these things. “I don't think it will do anything for a champion like Max if he misses a few hours of being in a racing car, because he has simply been there more or less every day since he turned 13.” The full interview with Tom Kristensen will be released on Monday, February 10 on YouTube and all of your podcast players!
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