In a jaw-dropping off-season scandal that has set the Formula 1 world ablaze on this festive December 26, 2025, Kelly Piquet – girlfriend of four-time champion Max Verstappen – unleashed a shocking and vicious statement about newly crowned 2025 World Champion Lando Norris, claiming: “His girlfriend only dates him because he’s the son of a millionaire – nothing special about him.” The brutal dig, posted on social media and quickly deleted, went mega-viral within minutes, igniting a firestorm of drama and dividing the paddock.
Piquet’s comment appeared to target Norris’s relationship with Portuguese model Margarida Corceiro, implying it was motivated by his wealthy family background rather than his achievements. Fans immediately linked it to lingering bitterness from the intense 2025 title battle, where Norris edged out Verstappen by two points in a nail-biting finale.
The post racked up millions of views before vanishing, but screenshots spread like wildfire, with #KellyShade and #LandoAttack trending worldwide.
The F1 community erupted. Verstappen supporters defended Piquet as “keeping it real,” while Norris fans branded the remark “petty, jealous, and classless.” McLaren insiders called it “unprovoked and low,” with some whispering it stemmed from Verstappen camp frustration over the lost championship.
But Lando Norris, ever the cool-headed champion, didn’t let it slide. In a swift, perfectly timed response on his own social media, the Brit dropped seven devastating words that left Kelly Piquet speechless and the entire F1 world stunned: “Titles aren’t bought, they’re earned. Congrats anyway.”
The comeback was ice-cold perfection – a subtle reminder of his hard-fought 2025 crown while dismissing the “millionaire’s son” jab as irrelevant.
Fans went wild: “Lando just ended her with facts!” and “Seven words and he buried the shade!” Verstappen’s camp stayed silent, with no response from Max or Kelly, leaving them reeling as the burn went viral.
Social media exploded in just 3 minutes. #LandoClapsBack and #TitlesEarned trended globally, with millions celebrating Norris’s classy yet savage retort. Even neutral fans hailed it as “clapback of the year,” while paddock figures like George Russell and Charles Leclerc liked supportive posts.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown reportedly laughed: “That’s our champion – on and off track.”
The drama adds fuel to the Norris-Verstappen rivalry as 2026 looms. Piquet’s deleted post has only amplified speculation of off-track tension, with fans debating whether it was jealousy over Lando’s title or frustration at his rising star power.
Norris, meanwhile, emerges stronger – his seven-word masterpiece silencing critics and cementing his status as F1’s new king.
As the off-season heats up with more than just holiday cheer, one thing is undeniable: Kelly Piquet’s shocking statement backfired spectacularly. Lando Norris’s seven words left her speechless, Verstappen’s circle stunned, and fans roaring in approval.
The champion has spoken – and the F1 world is still recovering from the burn.
