Watch: Penelope Kvyat shouts Max Verstappen's name during the podium ceremony at the F1 Japanese GP

Max Verstappen was showered with support from Penelope Kvyat after his third consecutive win at the Japanese GP on Sunday.

The Dutch driver has been in a relationship with Kelly Piquet since the end of 2020, who often accompanies him on race weekends to cheer him on. However, Piquet has been bringing her four-year-old daughter, Penelope, whom she shares with former Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat, to the tracks for the past two races.

Penelope was slightly disappointed in Melbourne when Max Verstappen retired from the race due to a rear right brake failure. But she was overjoyed after the three-time world champion came first at the Suzuka International Circuit.

The four-year-old's voice could be heard in a video circling social media while Max Verstappen is standing on the podium hearing the national anthem. Penelope was seen in the arms of Kelly Piquet while calling out for the Dutch driver.

In his post-race interview with F1.com, Max Verstappen claimed that the race 'couldn't have gone any better' after winning the race with a margin of over 12 seconds. He said:

“It was very nice. I think the critical bit was of course the start, to stay ahead, and after that, the car got better and better for me throughout the race.

“I don’t know if it had to do with the clouds coming in, but yeah, [it was] very nice. Everything just went really well, the pit stops went well, the strategy I think worked out well, so it couldn’t have been any better.”

Max Verstappen chimes in on getting back to winning ways after Melbourne

Max Verstappen stated that he was happy to be back to winning after a 'hiccup' at the Australian Grand Prix.

In his post-race press conference, the Red Bull driver said:

"I mean, not a relief, it's just nice to win, and it's nice, of course, to win here in Japan. It's always an important race for us. So, yeah, of course, Melbourne felt like a bit of a hiccup but what we did today, that's what we want to do, and that's what we aim to do every single weekend."

It would be interesting to see if he faces any more 'hiccups' in the upcoming races. The Dutchman extended his lead in the Driver's Championship by 13 points over his teammate Perez and 18 points from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.