Max Verstappen is reportedly on his way to the Miami Grand Prix after missing the traditional media day on Thursday, with Red Bull citing personal reasons related to his girlfriend Kelly Piquet's pregnancy.
The team informed specialist media at the Miami International Autodrome that the quadruple world champion would be absent due to Kelly "expecting a baby."
The announcement prompted one journalist to ask Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg about no longer being the only father on the grid, implying the child—rumoured to be a girl—had already been born.
Hulkenberg responded cautiously, "You know that for a fact?"
In fact, the status of the birth remains unconfirmed, with recent Red Bull sources indicating Kelly's due date was around May 6.
Bild newspaper, alongside other outlets, reported that Verstappen's private plane departed from Nice, France—near his Monaco residence—at 4pm on Thursday.
Red Bull assured the media that "all is well" and that the 27-year-old, currently third in the drivers' championship behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, will participate in Friday's practice sessions and the full race weekend.
A team spokesperson added, "We will not be offering any further comment at this time in respect towards the privacy of Max and his family."
Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto, one of Verstappen's closest friends on the grid, was also questioned about the situation. "No, I haven't spoken to him in the last few days," the 20-year-old Brazilian said.
He expressed confidence in Verstappen's focus, stating, "What I am sure of is that fatherhood will not change anything for him as a driver. I am sure that he will not drive slower. He will probably be faster," Bortoleto laughed.
"His mentality will not change. He will continue on the same path."
On the competitive front, Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko tempered expectations for Verstappen's performance in Miami, suggesting the track may not suit the team's car as well as Jeddah did two weeks prior, where he finished second behind Piastri.
"We expect the conditions to be more favourable to McLaren," he told Speed Week. "Our task at the moment is to develop a broader working window for our car and also to work on reducing certain weaknesses of the car before the European races and thus improving the car's basic speed."
