Max Verstappen announces girlfriend Kelly Piquet is pregnant ESPN

Formula 1 star Max Verstappen has announced that he will become a father with girlfriend Kelly Piquet expecting their first child together.

Red Bull driver Verstappen, 27, announced the news in a joint-social media post.

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Kelly Piquet, daughter of three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet has a daughter, Penelope, from a relationship with former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat who Verstappen replaced at Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

The couple announced the news ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of Verstappen's fourth world-title winning season.

With the baby arriving in 2025, Verstappen is set to join Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez and Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg as the only dads on the F1 grid.

The positive news comes as a welcome break for Verstappen who has been entangled in controversy after he and rival George Russell got caught up in a war of words.

Following an incident during qualifying at the Qatar Grand Prix, the two drivers have been vocally slamming each other to the media.

Russell claimed he "lost all respect" for "bully" Verstappen while the Dutch driver retaliated labelling Russell as "two-faced" and a "liar."