Max Verstappen’s model girlfriend Kelly Piquet, 34, has been a constant support for F1 driver

Formula One fans were left wondering whether Max Verstappen and his long-term girlfriend Kelly Piquet had split recently – until the glamorous Brazilian model firmly put the rumours to rest. 

Racing lovers took to Twitter last week to question the status of the couple’s relationship after the mother-of-one’s Instagram profile no longer showed the Highlight dedicated to her F1 driver beau for some social media users.

However, it was reportedly just a glitch, with others noting they could still spot the tribute on her page – and shortly after, Kelly, 34, buried the break up speculation further by sharing a story in honour of her 25-year-old boyfriend.

Celebrating Verstappen taking his fourth consecutive pole position in Austria, she shared F1’s Instagram post documenting the drive to her stories and captioned it with a heart emoji, according to EssentiallySports.

It appears Kelly – who is somewhat considered F1 royalty and a familiar face on the circuit – has been a constant support for the driver and the pair enjoy a very glamorous life together, travelling the world.

She is the daughter of three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet and previously dated Daniil Kvyat for three years, with whom she shares a daughter, Penelope. 

Since his retirement, Piquet – married to Viviane de Souza Leão – has been ranked among the greatest Formula One drivers in various motorsport polls.

However, in March this year, Piquet received a £780,00 fine for racist and homophobic comments made towards Lewis Hamilton in late 2021. 

A Brazilian court ruled against the three-time world champion after he was filmed on a podcast using a N-word slur against Hamilton – along with a homophobic slur.

Piquet made the remarks against the Mercedes driver during an interview in November 2021, when commenting on Hamilton’s British Grand Prix crash with Max Verstappen.

Hamilton was blamed for the incident by Piquet, whose daughter Kelly, has been dating Verstappen for a number of years, before he launched into a tirade including racist language. In an extended version of the clip, Piquet also uses homophobic slurs against Hamilton.

The charges were brought by four human rights groups, including Brazil’s National LGBT+ Alliance, which initially wanted Piquet to pay £1.5million [10 million Brazilian Reals] for alleged moral damages. He has been charged half of that amount.

In his decision, Judge Pedro Matos de Arrudo said the amount of compensation was given ‘in the sense that one should not only appreciate the reparative function of civil liability but also (and perhaps mainly) the punitive function so that, as a society, we can someday be free from the pernicious acts that are racism and homophobia’.

Piquet has since apologised for using the derogatory Portuguese phrase and condemned any suggestion that the word was used ‘with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour’. 

Piquet, in his apology, said: ‘What I said was ill thought out, and I make no defence for it, but I will clarify that the term used is one that has widely and historically been used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for ‘guy’ or ‘person’ and was never intended to offend. 

‘I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations. I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour.

‘I apologise wholeheartedly to anyone that was affected, including Lewis, who is an incredible driver, but the translation in some media that is now circulating on social media is not correct. 

‘Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts in that respect.’ 

Hamilton hit back at the original comment which went public, writing ‘Imagine’ next to a tweet which said, ‘what if Lewis Hamilton just tweeted, ‘Who the f*** is Nelson Piquet?’

He added: ‘It’s more than language. These are archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action.’ 

Both Formula 1 and Hamilton’s Mercedes team also condemned Piquet’s comments. 

Rodrigo Piquet, a relative of Nelson Piquet, leapt to the defence of the three-time F1 world champion in June 2022 – and Kelly liked the social media post. 

In an eyebrow-raising post, he revealed that their ‘second grandmother called us all’ the n-word, and even claimed that it is a ‘word of love’, rather than an offensive term. 

The flood of comments criticising his stance seemingly led him to set his account to private, although Kelly liked the upload.

Kelly is the daughter of Nelson and Sylvia Tamsma, a Dutch international model who shares two other children with the racer.

Piquet made his Formula One debut with the Ensign team and drove for McLaren and Brabham. 

He moved to the Williams team in 1986 where he took his third and final championship in 1987 during a heated battle with teammate Nigel Mansell.

The Brazilian subsequently moved to Lotus for 1988–89 and eventually went to the Benetton team for 1990–91 where he managed to win three races before retiring, at which point he tried his hand at the Indianapolis 500 for two years.

The father-of-seven now manages his sons Nelson Piquet Jr. and Pedro Piquet, who are also professional racing drivers.

Meanwhile Kelly, who is is nine years older than 25-year-old Verstappen, was born in Germany in 1988.

She spent most of her childhood living in the South of France before the family moved to Brazil when she was just 12.

At the age of 15, she returned to France, and lived there for another year before moving to England to study at a boarding school.  Just two years later, she returned to Brazil to attend her senior year of school.

It wasn’t long before she moved to the US, attending Marymount Manhattan College in New York and majoring in International Relations.  

During college, she took an internship in fashion and picking up work at Vogue Latinoamerica, Bergdorf Goodman, KCD PR agency, in addition to being a columnist for Marie Claire magazine. 

Speaking to Glamour Russia, she explained: ‘Growing up in this world and seeing from very close what it takes for someone to reach such a high level, I can only associate racing to passion, perseverance, dedication, discipline, and adrenaline.’ 

Kelly clearly has a thing for Formula One drivers; the stunner previously dated Russian racer Daniil Kvyat, with whom she shares a daughter, Penelope Kyvat.

The couple were together from January 2017 until December 2019.

Meanwhile Kelly is believed to have been dating the Red Bull driver Max since late 2020, and regularly shares snaps of her adventures around the world on Instagram.

Max went public with their relationship on New Year’s Day in 2021, sharing a romantic snap of them together on a beach in Brazil, though it’s thought they’ve been an item since October 2020.

Announcing the news online, Max posted: ‘Happy New Year everyone. Let’s make 2021 a year to remember in many ways. Wishing you all success, love and happiness just as I found mine.’

Meanwhile Kelly wrote: ‘Love is what makes the world go round. Happy new year and much love #2021.’  

Kelly is a familiar face in the pitlane, having worked in motorsport PR and social media for Formula-E since 2015. 

In 2016, she told the website e-racing.net she was ‘working full time for Formula E as social media strategist and content creator.’ She explained: ‘I focus on Instagram and Twitter, and do all Snapchat content.’

Meanwhile she added she loved travelling the world because she gets to see so many different cultures, meet different people.’ 

She continued: ‘Although the most exciting thing to me is being part of such an innovative concept, and introducing this new sport to different cities and cultures. My favourite race locations so far have been Berlin, Monaco, Buenos Aires and Paris.’ 

As a model she’s posed for PatBO and Lucas Boccalão, and walked the catwalk in a number of fashion shows. Her ultra glamorous Instagram – that boasts 1.1million followers – is filled with modelling shots as well as snaps of her lavish holidays jetsetting across the world.

Meanwhile her daughter Penelope can often be seen by her side as the duo snuggle up in various luxurious destinations.

Other snaps show her gushing over Max, with one birthday tribute to her boyfriend reading: ‘Happy Birthday to the love of my life. I love everything about you, about us and I am beyond proud of you. I can’t wait for all that is to come.’

In 2021, she spoke of her fears for her boyfriend when he takes part in races.

She explained: ‘It’s of course mixed emotions. I’m always super excited to support him but I always am nervous that everything goes well and that he doesn’t get hurt in an accident. 

‘The danger is normally not the first thing that comes to my mind but after his two big accidents this year, I’m much more nervous.’

She also revealed how she dreams of ‘building a beautiful, strong and united happy family.’