Amid speculation over a billion-dollar offer, Verstappen and Red Bull address Aston Martin talks—was it for F1 or something else?
Did Aston Martin F1 Make a Billion-Dollar Offer to Max Verstappen?
This rumor has circulated widely in the media in recent weeks, and today’s press conference in London, ahead of the F1 75 show, provided an opportunity to ask those directly involved.
First up was Andy Cowell, the new team principal of the British outfit, replacing Mike Krack.
And he chose not to comment, confirm, or deny anything. Cowell completely sidestepped any discussion about Verstappen, emphasizing that Aston Martin is “really lucky” to have Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso “on long-term contracts.”
“They have great experience. The key task for this team is to build a fast race car. We didn’t achieve that for them last year, and they are under a lot of media pressure. The pressure should be on our side. Our mission is to create a fast race car, and I am absolutely certain that if we do, they will both be able to exploit it.”
Asked publicly for the first time about this rumor, Verstappen confirmed that discussions had taken place with Aston Martin—but not for an F1 seat.
“That’s a lot of money,” Verstappen said regarding the reported figure.
“Honestly, when I read about it, it was the first time I had seen anything like that. The only contact I had with them was about a GT3 car for this year.”
“There’s not much to say, really. But it’s not me personally driving—it’s about setting up my own team for this year, so of course, some things need to be arranged.”
Christian Horner and Helmut Marko Respond to the Rumors
Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing’s team principal, also reacted alongside his driver.
“I know you all have columns to fill during the winter, but a driver worth a billion dollars…?”
“That’s an enormous amount of money. I think Max is very happy in the environment he’s in.”
“He has grown within the team. He has an excellent relationship with the team, the engineers, the technicians, and everyone he works with. It’s up to us to provide a competitive car and continue giving him the platform to achieve the results he has over the past nearly ten years.”
Finally, Dr. Helmut Marko reminded everyone that Verstappen couldn’t simply walk away.
“There are performance clauses. And let’s assume we are not really at a disadvantage in terms of the engine. A gap of one or two tenths is manageable with Max.”
“This is just speculation. We want our fifth consecutive world championship title—that’s our full focus. We didn’t achieve it with Vettel. The rest is just rumors.”
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Max Verstappen’s Future: Aston Martin Talks Confirmed Max Verstappen’s Future: Aston Martin Talks Confirmed Max Verstappen’s Future: Aston Martin Talks Confirmed
