The rumor mill about the F1 driver market goes into overdrive during the annual winter break. While such rumors about Max Verstappen have become a norm, the latest one linking him to Aston Martin seems to be quite startling. The Daily Mail has reported that the Silverstone-based outfit could lure Verstappen away with a staggering deal worth GBP 1 billion ($1.2 billion).
Even though Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll is capable of floating such an offer, 1997 F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve does not see that happening. The Canadian former driver expects the 27-year-old to stay put at Red Bull because like Hamilton, the Dutchman simply wants to win, and Villeneuve doesn’t feel that is a realistic possibility with Aston Martin.
“Verstappen will wonder what his next step should be,” Villeneuve said in an interview with Action Network per F1 Maximaal.nl. “You win with Ferrari, and you win with Mercedes, but not with Aston Martin. Like Lewis Hamilton, he just wants to win”.
Verstappen does seem loyal to the Red Bull family, who not only got the Dutchman into F1 but also enabled him to break numerous records in the past few seasons. Other than winning four consecutive championships, Verstappen has already won 63 races, which places him third on the all-time list for most victories, only behind the two seven-time champions — Hamilton (105) and Michael Schumacher (91).
Max Verstappen says it’s his ‘intention’ to stick with Red Bull until at least the end of 2028 when his contract expires.
But he stresses retaining other key players within the team will be crucial to Red Bull’s continued success pic.twitter.com/2brmFDBg2U
— The Race (@wearetherace) March 21, 2024
However, there is a caveat to Verstappen’s loyalty to Red Bull. Owing to the downfall in the Milton Keynes outfit’s car performance in 2024, there is no guarantee that the Dutchman would want to see out his long-term contract till 2028, even if he has reiterated the same.
Verstappen may reconsider his future if the team doesn’t provide him with a competitive car, as there is reportedly a performance clause in his contract. Additionally, some other reasons may also influence his decision.
What may push Verstappen to leave Red Bull?
Verstappen may be one of the most professional drivers as he avoids getting into controversies, especially when he has no involvement. When Red Bull were facing quite the turmoil last season after their team principal Christian Horner was accused of “inappropriate behavior” towards a female employee, Verstappen was asked several questions about the same.
Although he chose to remain tight-lipped, what did not help him was that his father, Jos Verstappen, publicly attacked Horner, slamming the Briton for defaming the Red Bull team and potentially being the reason they tore apart. With Jos calling out Horner publicly, Max, of course, was quizzed about his future.
It was then that the 27-year-old admitted that if the off-track drama continued for a while, he may rethink his future. However, with tensions cooling down soon after and Max going on to win a fourth consecutive title, it seems that he may not be thinking about going anywhere else at all.
What could though impact his future in F1 is if he stops enjoying it. The Dutchman has repeatedly stated that he has no interest in emulating the careers of Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. The day he feels he is not getting the satisfaction he desires from F1, the four-time champion may decide to hang up his boots.
Verstappen has also expressed his desire of wanting to compete in other racing disciplines such as endurance racing with the 24 Hours of Le Mans quite high on his bucket list. This could be another reason he may call time upon his F1 career early. Until then, it seems most likely that he will stay at Red Bull till the end of the 2028 season, as things stand.
