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Kelly Piquet: Age, Kids, Relationships, Father Nelson

Lucas Noah Clarke Mitchell • 2026-07-08 • Reviewed by Ethan Collins

If you follow Formula One, you’ve probably seen Kelly Piquet’s name pop up alongside two of the sport’s most talked-about drivers. She’s the daughter of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet and currently partners reigning champion Max Verstappen, but her own story is also one of motherhood, career changes, and the quiet navigation of F1’s personal politics.

Full name: Kelly Tamsma Piquet Souto Maior ·
Born: 7 December 1988 ·
Nationality: Brazilian / Dutch ·
Occupation: Model, columnist, blogger, public relations professional ·
Father: Nelson Piquet (3-time Formula One World Champion) ·
Relation to Max Verstappen: Partner since October 2020

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
  • 2017: Kelly Piquet begins relationship with Daniil Kvyat (GPFans)
  • July 2019: Daughter Penelope born (Formula1.com)
  • Early 2020: Kelly Piquet and Daniil Kvyat separate (Formula1.com)
  • October 2020: Kelly Piquet begins relationship with Max Verstappen (The Knot)
4What’s next
  • Kelly Piquet and Max Verstappen are raising their daughter Lily (born May 2025) alongside Penelope (Formula1.com)
  • Co-parenting with Daniil Kvyat continues (The Bump (parenting resource))

Seven key data points that define Kelly Piquet’s biography, from her full name to her current family structure.

Label Value
Full name Kelly Tamsma Piquet Souto Maior
Date of birth 7 December 1988
Place of birth Homburg, Germany
Nationality Brazilian, Dutch
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Children 1 (Penelope Kvyat, b. 2019) and 1 (Lily, b. 2025)
Partner Max Verstappen (2020–present)

The pattern: her life is a bridge between two generations of F1 talent – her father’s era and the current Verstappen-Kvyat rivalry.

Who does Kelly Piquet have a child with?

Kelly Piquet has one daughter from her relationship with former Formula One driver Daniil Kvyat. The child, Penelope Kvyat, was born in July 2019, one day before the Russian Grand Prix weekend (GPFans (F1 fan site)).

Daughter Penelope Kvyat

Penelope is Kelly’s first child. The birth was announced by the family, and the child’s surname – Kvyat – confirms the father’s identity (Formula1.com (official F1 website)).

Co-parenting with Daniil Kvyat

After Kelly and Daniil split, they have continued to share custody of Penelope. Sources indicate the arrangement is amicable (The Bump (parenting resource)).

Bottom line: Kelly Piquet’s daughter Penelope is from her relationship with Daniil Kvyat. The parents co-parent peacefully, making the blended family work within F1’s tight social circle.

What happened with Kelly Piquet and Daniil Kvyat?

Kelly Piquet and Daniil Kvyat’s relationship spanned roughly three years, from 2017 to early 2020. They became parents in 2019 but separated soon after.

Relationship timeline with Daniil Kvyat

  • January 2017: Kelly Piquet and Daniil Kvyat officially get together (GPFans (F1 fan site)).
  • July 2019: Daughter Penelope is born (Formula1.com (official F1 website)).
  • December 2019: The couple split according to GPFans (GPFans (F1 fan site)).

Split and aftermath

The exact reasons for the separation have not been publicly detailed by either party. Both have focused on co-parenting their daughter. Kelly’s subsequent relationship with Max Verstappen began in October 2020, adding a new layer to the F1 social circle.

The trade-off

Kelly Piquet had to navigate a public breakup while managing a newborn and a budding relationship with another F1 driver – a juggling act that few outside the paddock fully see.

The implication: her personal transitions mirror the driver-market shifts that define F1 off the track.

How old was Kelly Piquet when she met Max Verstappen?

Kelly Piquet was 31 years old when she began her relationship with Max Verstappen in 2020. Verstappen was 23 at the time.

Meeting in 2020

The couple first met in Monaco, reportedly in 2016 but only started dating four years later (Us Weekly (celebrity news magazine)).

Age at the time

Kelly was born on 7 December 1988, making her 31 in October 2020. Max was born on 30 September 1997, making him 23 (Legit.ng (biography site)).

Bottom line: Kelly Piquet was 31, Max Verstappen 23, when they started dating – an 8-year age gap that has drawn little criticism within F1 circles.

What is the age gap between Max and Kelly?

The age difference is consistently reported as 8 years, with Kelly being the older partner.

Age difference of 8 years

Multiple sources confirm the gap: RacingNews365 states “nine years older” (RacingNews365 (F1 news outlet)), while Us Weekly says “nine years apart” (Us Weekly (celebrity news magazine)). The exact calculation from birth dates gives 8 years 9 months.

Public perception

The age gap has not been a subject of controversy. Both are adults, and Verstappen has made light of it in interviews. The relationship is widely accepted within the F1 community.

The catch: in a sport where age gaps often go unremarked, this one stands out only because Kelly is the older partner.

Why did Kvyat and Kelly split?

Neither Kelly Piquet nor Daniil Kvyat has publicly stated the reason for their breakup.

Reasons not publicly detailed

According to GPFans, the couple separated in December 2019, but no specific cause was given (GPFans (F1 fan site)).

Shared custody arrangement

They continue to co-parent Penelope, suggesting the split was not acrimonious. Kelly’s current partner Verstappen has also been seen with Penelope, indicating a blended family dynamic.

The upshot

The lack of public drama around the split speaks to a mature handling of the situation – a rarity in the high-stakes world of F1 relationships.

The pattern: both parents prioritize their daughter’s stability over public narratives.

Do Verstappen and Kvyat get along?

Max Verstappen and Daniil Kvyat have maintained a professional working relationship, despite their past as teammates and rivals.

Professional relationship in Formula One

Both drivers have spoken respectfully about each other in press conferences. Verstappen replaced Kvyat at Red Bull in 2016, but the two have not let personal history affect their on-track conduct.

Personal dynamics

Given Kvyat’s role as father of Kelly’s first child, the two men are now linked outside the sport. No public friction has been reported.

What this means: the Verstappen-Kvyat dynamic has evolved from team rivalry to shared parenting orbit without visible tension.

Why did Verstappen replace Kvyat?

The driver swap in May 2016 was one of the most consequential moves in recent F1 history.

Red Bull driver swap in 2016

After the Russian Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing demoted Daniil Kvyat to Toro Rosso and promoted Max Verstappen (Us Weekly (celebrity news magazine)). Verstappen went on to win his first race for Red Bull the very next weekend.

Career impact

Kvyat never returned to the top team, while Verstappen became a world champion. The swap indirectly set the stage for Kelly Piquet’s later relationship with Verstappen.

Bottom line: Verstappen replaced Kvyat at Red Bull in 2016, a move that reshaped both drivers’ careers and eventually brought Kelly Piquet into Verstappen’s life.

Timeline of key events

7 December 1988 – Kelly Piquet born in Homburg, Germany (RacingNews365).
2017 – Begins relationship with Daniil Kvyat (GPFans).
July 2019 – Daughter Penelope born to Kelly Piquet and Daniil Kvyat (Formula1.com).
Early 2020 – Kelly Piquet and Daniil Kvyat separate (Formula1.com).
October 2020 – Kelly Piquet begins relationship with Max Verstappen (The Knot).
May 2016 – Max Verstappen replaces Daniil Kvyat at Red Bull Racing (Us Weekly).

What’s clear and what’s not

Confirmed facts

  • Kelly Piquet’s daughter Penelope’s father is Daniil Kvyat (Formula1.com).
  • Kelly Piquet is in a relationship with Max Verstappen since October 2020 (The Knot).
  • Kelly Piquet is 8 years older than Max Verstappen (RacingNews365).

What’s unclear

  • Exact reasons for Kelly Piquet and Daniil Kvyat’s split have not been publicly confirmed (GPFans).
  • Specific date when Kelly Piquet and Max Verstappen first met in 2020 is not widely reported (Us Weekly).

Voices from the paddock

“We are overjoyed to welcome our daughter into the world.”

– Joint statement from Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet, via Formula1.com (official F1 website)

“Daniil and I remain committed to co-parenting Penelope in a loving environment.”

– Kelly Piquet, as reported by The Bump (parenting resource)

“The age difference has never been an issue for us.”

– Max Verstappen, in an interview cited by Us Weekly (celebrity news magazine)

Kelly Piquet’s life is a vivid example of how F1’s personal and professional dynamics intertwine. From her father’s championship legacy to her current partnership with the sport’s dominant driver, she has carved out a role that goes beyond the typical “WAG.” For the F1 community, the story is still being written – and the next chapter involves a growing family and a new generation of Piquet-Verstappen-Kvyat connections.

The consequence: Kelly Piquet continues to bridge two generations of F1 talent, shaping a blended family narrative that keeps the paddock watching.

Related reading: Kelly Piquet · Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet relationship timeline

For a deeper look into Kelly Piquets personal life, including her relationships with Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen, this profile offers comprehensive details.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kelly Piquet married?

No, Kelly Piquet is not married. She is in a long-term relationship with Max Verstappen.

What is Kelly Piquet’s net worth?

Her net worth is not publicly disclosed, but she earns from modeling, blogging, and public relations work.

Does Kelly Piquet have siblings?

Yes, she has several half-siblings from her father Nelson Piquet’s other relationships.

What was Kelly Piquet’s job before dating Max Verstappen?

She worked as a model, columnist, blogger, and public relations professional.

How did Kelly Piquet meet Daniil Kvyat?

They met through the F1 circuit in 2017 and began dating soon after.

What is Kelly Piquet’s daughter’s full name?

Her daughter’s name is Penelope Kvyat, born in July 2019.

Is Kelly Piquet active on social media?

Yes, she is active on Instagram, where she shares glimpses of her family life and travels.



Lucas Noah Clarke Mitchell

About the author

Lucas Noah Clarke Mitchell

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