Will Max Verstappen join Michael Schumacher and F1’s championship-winning dads?

If Max Verstappen wants to become a Formula 1 world champion after becoming a father for the first time, he has some greats to try and emulate

Max Verstappen toasted the birth of baby Lily on Thursday to become a father for the first time – as soon as the four-time world champion announced the pregnancy there was speculation as to whether he would be the same, fearless driver. However, he will not be the first F1 racer to be aiming for title glory as a dad.

Here, Motorsport.com takes a look at some of the previous champions who have claimed titles on track while juggling fatherhood off it.

Graham Hill

When he took victory at the 1962 South African Grand Prix to claim his first F1 world championship, Graham Hill already had two children with wife Bette.

Brigitte was the eldest, with son Damon (more on him later) having just turned two when his dad took the crown. Samantha followed, as did a second world title win in 1968 with Team Lotus.

Hill tragically did not get to enjoy his children growing up after he was killed in a plane crash in 1975.

Nelson Piquet

Brazilian Nelson Piquet had already won two F1 titles – in 1981 and 1983 – before he became a father.

Nelson Piquet, Brabham BT52B BMW, punches the air at the finish

Photo by: Motorsport Images

He then welcomed Geraldo and Nelson Piquet Jnr before he completed his hat-trick of drivers’ championships in 1987, despite winning just three races that season.

Nelson Jnr would end up driving in F1 himself, while his dad would go on to have four more children – including Kelly – who is Verstappen’s girlfriend and mother of his newborn daughter Lily.

Nigel Mansell

Mansell was pipped to the 1985 title by Piquet, but claimed his one and only championship seven years later.

By the time the Briton had reached the pinnacle of F1, he already had daughter Chloe and two sons – Leo and Greg, who themselves would go on to have motor racing careers.

Mansell retired at the end of his title-winning campaign but returned in 1994 with Williams and raced twice for McLaren the following year.

Damon Hill

Remember his dad, Graham? Well, Damon followed in his father’s footsteps by winning the F1 title.

Having twice finished second to Michael Schumacher in 1994 and 1995, Hill finally reached the top by taking the championship with Williams in 1996.

Oliver, Josh and Tabitha had already arrived before Hill’s glory, while Rosie followed in 1998 – just six months before Hill’s final F1 victory came for Jordan at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Michael Schumacher

The German had got the better of Hill while driving for Benetton, a two-time world champion himself before becoming a father.

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari 248F1, 1st position, and Jean Todt, podium

Photo by: Lorenzo Bellanca / Motorsport Images

Gina-Maria was born first before future F1 driver Mick followed in 1999, just before Schumacher hit his dominant period and took five successive world championship titles between 2000 and 2005.

He retired in 2006 but returned to F1 in 2010 and spent three seasons at Mercedes – Schumacher then suffered a serious injury in a skiing accident in 2013 and has not been seen in public since.

Nico Rosberg

Rosberg was the son of 1982 F1 champion Keke Rosberg but was not born until 1985, so Keke fails to make the list.

However, Rosberg welcomed his first child, Alaia, in 2015 and Naila followed just a year after he wrestled the title from Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

He would retire at the end of the 2016 campaign and has since gone on to work for Sky Sports F1 as a pundit.