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HomeRacingAston Martin denies Verstappen offer rumor, but 2026 question marks remain

Aston Martin denies Verstappen offer rumor, but 2026 question marks remain


on thursday, The Daily Mail A rumor was published that Aston Martin is reportedly contacting sponsors with the intention of signing max verstappen On a massive £1bn salary spread over several years.

Although the amount was mentioned in capital letters, there should be no surprise on the interest. It’s no secret that both Aston Martin and mercedes They are still hoping to secure the services of the Dutchman at some stage in his career. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said the focus is entirely on the current drivers george russell and Kimi Antonelli, but told the Dutch press in Zandvoort that it does not close the door for Verstappen.

“I still think our paths will cross one day,” Wolfe said.

From Aston Martin’s perspective, it’s also not surprising to keep an eye on Verstappen. The Silverstone-based team has built a state-of-the-art complex in Silverstone, in which its new wind tunnel should play a key role.

The technical team has been strengthened with Enrico Cardile and, most importantly, Adrian Newey. Additionally, Honda is contracted as the engine supplier from 2026. Because Aston Martin is the only team to which Honda will supply its engines, it will become a factory team of sorts, as is now the case with Red Bull.

All of these aspects are components of success, although two pieces of the puzzle don’t match: both drivers. lance stroll is not championship material and fernando alonso There will be 44 next year – when the new rules come into effect – and 45 after that season. So this isn’t really a line-up worth building around in the long term. Add to that the fact that Lawrence Stroll wants to do everything possible to make his Formula 1 project a success, and it makes sense that he is willing to invest even more.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Photo by: Lubomir Asenov/Motorsport Images

Verstappen himself has never hidden his respect for both New Zealand and Honda, but this week’s reports seem premature. Aston Martin strongly denied that Verstappen was being approached by any sponsors and such a business case sounds like an ‘if, then’ scenario.

Red Bull has good hopes but must continue to perform well

For now, inside sources red bull racing The team is said to be confident it can keep Verstappen until at least the end of 2026. The much-discussed Helmut Marko clause was theoretically an easier approach, and therefore a treat from Red Bull’s point of view, but a so-called ‘side letter’ was added to it last year. This cemented Marko’s position within the team after the turmoil and should give Red Bull a little more confidence in not losing Verstappen that easily.

As said, everything depends on the competitive content. The contract, like all Formula 1 contracts, also contains other clauses meaning Red Bull must continue to deliver. If the 2025 season doesn’t go too badly for the Milton Keynes-based team (otherwise the clauses could theoretically apply earlier), the team is confident it can keep Verstappen on board.

The position is potentially only more open towards the end of 2026 – so towards 2027 – depending also on how Red Bull begins the new era with its engines. This will be an interesting moment in the Formula 1 driver market anyway, as it appears to be wide open.

contract of carlos saenz, oscar piastri, Lewis Hamilton And others then end. Even Alonso has hinted that he is coming in 2026, which will likely be his last season in Formula 1. The Spaniard is still hoping for a third world title and he has pinned all those hopes on the new rules. For the season after that, Aston Martin potentially has a vacancy and a lot seems possible on the market.

2026 formula 1 rules

Photo by: FIA

2026 key

The whole situation means that Verstappen is in a luxury situation and has no shortage of interest, which should come as no surprise for a driver of his stature. Verstappen can wait and see who is competitive and who is not in 2026. Moving into 2026, everything is a gamble – including staying with Red Bull – as no one can predict who will be competitive under the new set of rules.

That season would be a step into the unknown for all teams, with changes to both engine and chassis regulations. An additional factor is of course that Red Bull will no longer be able to rely on Honda, but will instead begin producing its own power units with Red Bull Powertrains – Ford.

These are all variables that Verstappen could theoretically wait for before making a long-term decision. It reflects the position he is in. On interest from other teams, Verstappen told Motorsport.com during an interview in Singapore: “Of course, I know it’s possible, but I’m not thinking about it that much at the moment.”

Noting that other teams are keeping the door open as long as possible, Verstappen continued: “But I’m also like ‘If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.’ It’s not going to change my life.” This shows how relaxed Verstappen is about the whole situation, but also how important the 2026 rules will be.

The latter applies not only to the question of who will be the competitors, but also to how the rules themselves are made. Verstappen was heavily critical of the 2026 plans during the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, revealing that he had to downshift on the Monza straight in the simulator and that the active aerodynamics felt ‘weird’ for the driver.

“I don’t think Formula 1 should go in this direction,” he said at the time. Later, the FIA ​​OK’d the plans and Verstappen said he was “neutral” on them at this time. Nonetheless, the 2026 rules are important for future considerations. “Definitely for me in 2026 I have to decide whether it’s still fun to drive,” Verstappen said during an interview in Singapore.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

It is widely known that the four-time world champion has ambitions in other racing series besides Formula 1. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is at the top of his wish list. An important prerequisite for any option in Formula 1 is that Verstappen still loves the sport, as Marko has also indicated. This will be the first question mark in 2026. It appears to be a two-stage matter of who will be competing under the new rules.

the amount of money mentioned in The Daily Mail The article may seem tempting, but Verstappen does not need to base his choice on money at all. Fun comes first. In that regard, 2026 promises to be an important year in several ways: first, whether Formula 1 is still what Verstappen wants and, second, how the field will shake out.

There is no shortage of interest in him with Red Bull, Mercedes and Aston Martin all teams doing everything they can to get or keep him. Verstappen has the luxury of waiting and not taking the gamble, which would still be a gamble with the Aston Martin in its current state.

in this article

Ronald Warding

formula 1

max verstappen

aston martin racing

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