Lando Norris Jokes About Verstappen’s Fatherhood After Lo… Read more
Ahead of the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, Lando Norris couldn’t help but crack a light-hearted joke about Max Verstappen’s recent entry into fatherhood. The McLaren driver quipped that he was hoping Verstappen might slow down after becoming a dad. However, the Red Bull star proved otherwise by delivering a dominant qualifying performance to secure pole position for Sunday’s race, edging Norris out by just 0.065 seconds.
Verstappen’s daughter, Lilly, was recently born to him and his long-time partner Kelly Piquet. Despite the emotional milestone and travel commitments, the reigning World Champion arrived in Miami and delivered a stellar one-lap performance, showcasing no signs of slowing down. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko had previously suggested that fatherhood could cost Verstappen up to three tenths per lap in performance, but Saturday’s qualifying session proved quite the opposite.
“Congrats to Max, especially on becoming a dad,” Norris said with a smile post-qualifying. “I was hoping it was going to slow him down a little bit, but it clearly didn’t!”
While disappointed not to snatch pole, Norris remained upbeat about his progress. He’s been candid in recent races about struggling to find comfort with McLaren’s MCL39 but felt more confident in Miami. He admitted that he is still learning to optimize the car’s full potential and blamed a slight error—taking too much kerb at Turn 17—for narrowly missing out on pole.
“I’ve been feeling better than I have done over the last few weekends,” Norris said. “I’ve still not put it all together. But it is what it is—Max on pole, I’m P2. Ready to see what we can do into Turn 1.”
Verstappen, who is chasing his second win of the 2025 season, echoed the sentiment of preparedness but warned that the race would present different challenges. Weather may play a role, with rain having already impacted the sprint session on Saturday.
“It was a great qualifying,” Verstappen said. “We made a small improvement to the car which helped with rotation. I kept improving through Q1, Q2, and Q3, although I had a small moment in Turn 1. It’s tricky with the tyres, but it worked out well in the end.”
As the title rivals line up on the front row, both Verstappen and Norris will be gunning for a crucial win. Norris is still chasing his second victory of the year after winning the Melbourne season opener, while Verstappen aims to extend his lead in the championship battle.
