A few days after winning his first Formula 1 title at the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, Verstappen landed in Brazil to enjoy his well-deserved vacation after a season that was intense until the last lap of the year.
The Red Bull driver was accompanied these days by his father-in-law Nelson Piquet, three times F1 world champion, and his brother-in-law Nelsinho Piquet, champion of the first season of Formula E and also a former driver of the highest category of motorsport.
Verstappen spent Christmas with the Piquets in Lençóis Maranhenses, a national park in northern Brazil.
Verstappen ‘s tour of the South American country began in the capital, Brasilia, where Nelson Pique t lives. The Dutchman arrived in Brazil on December 22, as the fans themselves have been able to demonstrate on social networks.
From Brasilia, Verstappen set out for the protected area of Brazil’s north coast, where he met with much of the Piquet family. The region is known for its desert landscape of large white dunes and rainwater lagoons.
On Christmas Eve, Nelsinho posted some funny videos on his Instagram stories in which Verstappen was seen playing “soapy football”.
The family also played the “invisible friend” and the 2021 F1 champion had to give a gift to Rodrigo Piquet , a prominent driver in Brazilian karting and Nelson’s nephew. As can be seen on his own social networks, he received an autographed replica of Verstappen’s Red Bull RB16B .
The curious fact is that both Max and Rodrigo, who is a four-time Brazilian karting champion, wear the number 33 on their cars. However, in the 2022 season, Verstappen will wear the number 1, to which he is entitled by his title.
In addition, during the Christmas dinner, Verstappen took several photos with Nelson Piquet , as highlighted by the Dutchman’s girlfriend, Kelly, in a post on Instagram. Nelson Piquet even appears in a commemorative sweatshirt for Max’s title.
Last Sunday, after Christmas, the Red Bull driver was surprised by Kelly walking alongside Nelson. The Brazilian published the scene on her social networks. That same day, Max also appeared alongside Pedro Piquet , another rider who was the son of the three-time world champion.
Thanks to social networks, we can now find out how a Formula 1 world champion spends his Christmas holidays. On this occasion, a Max Verstappen who will surely be recharging his batteries to return with even more strength and ambition in 2022.
