Max Verstappen responded to suggestions that becoming a father for the first time could slow him down after taking pole position at the F1 Miami Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver, who is chasing a fifth consecutive world championship this year, produced an outstanding lap to beat McLa🌺ren’s Lando Norris to pole in Miami.

Verstappen only arrived in Miami on Friday after his p𓂃artner Kelly Piquet gave birth to their first child, Lily.

The news led to a swathe of questions as to w🥀hether being a parent would slow the 27-year-old Dutchman down, something his rivals were quick to dismiss.

And Verstappen fired back at those suggestions in the post-qualifying press conference on Saturday🧸.

“It’s b꧒een good to be able to spend a few daysꦰ at home before coming here. When she’s just been born, you want to make sure everything is okay,” he said.

“Clearly, it didn’t make me slower being a dad, so that’s 🔴a positive. So we can throw that out of the window as well, for people mentioning it.

“I am in contact a lot with my girlfriend anyway throughout the day, getting pictures and oꦆn FaceTime🧔 a bit. It’s always there but now one more member in the family.”

Pressed further on what he made about those suggestions, Verstappen replied: “I don’t really listen to these kind 🌠of silly things, I just do my thing.

“I think there are enough racing drivers in the꧅ past who have been world champions even after having kids. Honestly I don’t know where this has even come from.”

It marked Verstappen’s third pole in🍃 six races this season after Red Bull in♈troduced an upgraded floor this weekend.

“I think apart from entry Turn 1, yes. It’s just been really tricky to get the tyres in the right window over a whole lap,” he said of his po🦩le lap.

“So I think in hindsight of course you never want to have an overstee꧟r moment on entry, but over the wholeꦺ lap I did feel a bit more comfortable.

“I’m very happy to be on pole. Q1, Q2, Q3 just kept chipping away at it a𓆉nd then I just kept on improving a little bit, so that’s what you want.”