January 17th 2025.
Max Verstappen is currently under contract with Red Bull until 2028, but there have been rumors that Aston Martin, owned by Lawrence Stroll, is attempting to sign him in a deal worth a whopping £1 billion - the largest in Formula 1 history. However, former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve believes that Verstappen has no interest in joining the British team anytime soon.
According to reports from the Daily Mail, Aston Martin's Managing Director Jefferson Slack has been telling potential investors that Verstappen will be moving to their team. This comes as no surprise as team owner Lawrence Stroll has been vocal about his desire to sign the four-time world champion, especially after recruiting legendary car designer Adrian Newey from Red Bull in a deal worth £30 million per season.
Currently, Verstappen is the highest earning driver in F1 alongside Sir Lewis Hamilton, earning £50 million per year. He also has a contract with Red Bull until 2028. However, there have been ongoing rumors of a potential departure due to tensions between Verstappen's father, Jos, and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, as well as the team's decline in form in the second half of last season.
Aston Martin, who already have Fernando Alonso and Lawrence's son Lance Stroll under contract until 2026, have denied the reports of their interest in Verstappen. And when Verstappen's camp was asked for comment, they simply responded with, "That's nice."
In an interview with Action Network, Villeneuve was asked if Verstappen would be a good fit for Aston Martin, with Alonso likely to retire after 2026. The Canadian replied, "Lawrence Stroll would need someone that's very strong mentally and hard-headed to replace Fernando Alonso. Max Verstappen would be more like, 'what's my next step?' You win with Ferrari, you win with Mercedes, not with Aston Martin. Like Lewis Hamilton, he wants to win."
Villeneuve also predicted that this upcoming season will be tough for Aston Martin, which could hurt their chances of landing Verstappen. "I would say Aston Martin will be the biggest disappointment of 2025, not because they will do a bad job, but because people are expecting them to start winning because Adrian Newey is there. But he hasn't had enough time to make an impact on the team, so the expectations from outsiders and fans will be misplaced. It will be disappointing, not because of bad results, but because they won't be what people are wanting and hoping to see with Newey there. It takes time."
The 2025 F1 season is set to begin with the Australian Grand Prix on March 16.
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