Kelly Piquet’s First Post After Max Verstappen’s Chinese GP Retirement

Not long after the race concluded, Piquet posted a photo on her Instagram story showing their daughter Lily sitting beside a pillow printed with Verstappen’s image. Alongside the picture, she wrote, “We can’t wait to see you,” tagging the 28-year-old driver and adding heart emojis.

The post came shortly after Verstappen’s retirement from the Chinese Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen Highlights Red Bull’s Ongoing Struggles

Verstappen admitted the Chinese Grand Prix weekend exposed several underlying issues for Red Bull, particularly tire degradation and overall balance problems with the car.

“I think this weekend was particularly bad,” the Dutch driver said. “It would help if we would just have a normal start. Also, a big problem for us at the moment is the tire degradation. We are graining a lot and probably more than the people around us. That’s already one thing we need to solve.”

Despite the setbacks, Verstappen said Red Bull remains focused on improving the car ahead of the upcoming races.“I know the team does everything they can. They give it everything,” the 28-year-old continued. “But at the moment we’re just not where we want to be.”

The Dutch driver added that the team hopes to make progress in the coming weeks as Formula 1 heads to the Japanese Grand Prix before a longer break in the schedule.

Multiple Teams Face Technical Issues at Chinese Grand Prix

While addressing Red Bull’s issues, Verstappen also acknowledged that reliability problems affected several teams across the grid during the race weekend in Shanghai.

“You can see that all over the grid. Some cars are not even starting,” he added. “So yeah, it’s all very complicated.”

Several drivers encountered technical problems before or during the race. Both McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, were unable to start the Chinese Grand Prix due to electrical issues. Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Williams driver Alex Albon also recorded DNS results.

Meanwhile, Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were forced to retire from the race, bringing the total number of non-finishers or non-starters to seven during the Shanghai event.

Despite the disappointing retirement, Verstappen remains focused on helping Red Bull resolve its early-season challenges as the championship moves forward.

While the race weekend proved difficult on track, his girlfriend Kelly Piquet’s social media post offered a glimpse into the personal side of the Dutch driver’s life away from Formula 1, as his family awaits his return following a frustrating Chinese Grand Prix.