As speculation about Max Verstappen's future intensifies, Aston Martin has not dismissed the allure of signing the Red Bull star, describing it as "exciting."
During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the team, owned by Lawrence Stroll, is prepared to offer Verstappen a colossal $300 million contract for the 2026, 2027, and 2028 seasons, backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, PIF.
The potential deal dominates discussions in the Jeddah paddock.
Aston Martin's responses have been measured. Team principal Andy Cowell stated, "We're incredibly fortunate to have two experienced drivers signed for the next two years."
When pressed on whether this rules out Verstappen, he added, "I'm saying that my head's full of improving the company so that we can make a fast race car for Lance (Stroll) and Fernando (Alonso)."
However, in a subsequent interview with Sky Italia, Cowell conceded, "It would be exciting to work with Max." A team spokesperson then told Osterreich newspaper, "It's normal for the media to speculate about the driver market. Our focus is on giving Lance and Fernando a more consistent and competitive car, so that both of them can achieve great results with it."
Verstappen is also being linked with Mercedes and Alpine, while he laughed off a question from an Italian journalist about joining Ferrari.
His friend and title rival Lando Norris suggested a break from Formula 1 is possible. "You never know," the McLaren driver said. "Max has said many times that he wants to go do other racing in other categories and enjoy his life."
Mercedes' George Russell, whose contract expires this year, acknowledged in Jeddah that it would be "completely understandable" if his team pursued Verstappen, calling him "the best driver."
However, Williams boss James Vowles, historically very close to Mercedes' Toto Wolff, cautioned that signing Verstappen "comes with a lot of downsides." He added, "What Mercedes has already is a great culture with two drivers that are delivering near to the peak of the car, and with one that's on the way up. So I personally don't think that's the place for him."
Red Bull's Christian Horner and Dr Helmut Marko dismissed the speculation as external "noise." Horner insisted, "Inside the team, Max ensured everyone here on Thursday of his commitment. Everything else is just speculation."
On track, Red Bull trails McLaren as usual, particularly in long-run pace, though Marko described Friday's performance as "the best Friday in a long time."
Dutch commentator Olav Mol told Ziggo Sport, "I understand that they were already using more engine power—completely against their usual nature. But did you see the long runs? Oscar Piastri was seven to eight tenths faster than everyone else."
