Helmut Marko jokes rivals ‘wish’ Max Verstappen takes paternity leave after Kelly Piquet’s pregnancy
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko responded to the possibility of Max Verstappen taking paternity leave over Kelly Piquet's pregnancy.
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Kelly Piquet and Max Verstappen (via Red Bull), Helmut Marko (in circle, via XPBimages)
Max Verstappen will soon become a father following girlfriend Kelly Piquet‘s pregnancy. Fans have speculated whether the Dutch driver would take a paternity leave to be with his child. Now Dr. Helmut Marko has given a clear verdict on the situation.
Verstappen has previously joked about getting enough penalty points for a race ban instead of a paternity leave. However, Helmut Marko dismissed such a possibility. The 81-year-old reckoned that racing remains the priority for the four-time world champion.
I don’t believe that. Races are his priority.
Helmut Marko said, as reported by GPBlog
The Red Bull Motorsport Consultant claimed that Max Verstappen would not take such a step unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances.’ On the other hand, Helmut Marko joked that rivals would certainly wish for the Dutch driver to take paternity leave and miss a few races next year.
Unless there are very exceptional circumstances, which we do not assume. Although the competition might wish it [was].
Helmut Marko stated
Will Max Verstappen get slower after becoming a father?
In Formula 1, many say that drivers with children become slower as they don’t push themselves to the limit compared to drivers who do not have kids. Helmut Marko was not concerned about such a possibility for Max Verstappen. The 81-year-old insisted that the reigning world champion would remain faster than his rivals.
That would mean Max would be in the range of some other top drivers, but he would still be faster.
Helmut Marko asserted
Certainly, fans can’t wait to see Verstappen and Kelly Piquet’s child in the coming months. The endearing couple might potentially decide to tie the knot in the future. For now, the Dutch driver would be spending some quality time with Piquet over the winter break.
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Armaan Agarwal
(2271 Articles Published)