The Formula 1 winter break offers drivers and their families a rare opportunity to step away from the relentless paddock schedule, and Kelly Piquet has used this downtime to return to her Brazilian roots. The model and partner of four-time world champion Max Verstappen has shared glimpses of their family holiday in Brazil, featuring their daughter Lily enjoying the southern hemisphere summer. While Verstappen recharges ahead of his 2025 season defence with Red Bull Racing, the family has embraced a quieter period away from the circuit spotlight that defined much of 2024.
Family time in the Brazilian sun
Piquet, who was born in Brazil as the daughter of three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet, has travelled to her home country to spend the festive season surrounded by family. The social media posts she has shared capture moments of relaxation under the warm Brazilian sun, a stark contrast to the European winter that typically defines the year-end break for much of the paddock.
Baby Lily, who was born earlier in 2024, features prominently in the holiday snapshots. The infant represents Verstappen’s first biological child, though the Red Bull driver has long embraced his role as a father figure to Penelope, Piquet’s daughter from her previous relationship with former Red Bull and AlphaTauri driver Daniil Kvyat. The blended family unit has become increasingly visible throughout the 2024 season, with Piquet and Penelope regularly spotted in the paddock supporting Verstappen during race weekends.
A championship year celebrated privately
The winter holiday follows what proved to be another successful campaign for Verstappen, who secured his fourth consecutive world championship in 2024. Despite facing stronger competition from McLaren and Ferrari throughout the second half of the season, the Dutchman clinched the title with races to spare, cementing his status among the sport’s all-time greats.
The Christmas period saw Piquet share several family photographs on social media, offering rare glimpses into the private life of one of motorsport’s most high-profile couples. These images showed the family gathered together during the festive season, before Piquet’s decision to extend the celebrations with a trip to Brazil as the new year approaches.
For Verstappen, the break represents a crucial mental and physical reset before the 2025 season begins. The four-time champion will return to face fresh challenges, including a new teammate in Liam Lawson, who replaces the departed Sergio Pérez at Red Bull Racing.
What this means going forward
The timing of this Brazilian holiday positions the Verstappen-Piquet family well for the demands of another gruelling Formula 1 season. With pre-season testing scheduled for February and the opening race in Australia following shortly after, these weeks represent the final opportunity for extended family time before the traveling circus resumes.
Piquet’s return to Brazil also maintains her connection to her roots in a country with deep Formula 1 heritage. Her father’s legacy in the sport, combined with Verstappen’s current dominance, keeps the family firmly embedded in motorsport history. As the 2025 season approaches, Verstappen will look to match his father-in-law’s three championship tally and pursue a fifth consecutive title, a feat that would further elevate his standing in the record books alongside the sport’s most decorated champions.
