Aston Martin has responded to speculation that it has been trying to sign Max Verstappen by offering a deal worth £1 billion.
Rumors of Verstappen being approached by Aston Martin have been doing the rounds after the Silverstone outfit secured the services of Red Bull's former chief technical officer and aero guru Adrian Newey, who joins the team in March.
Newey's Red Bull exit amid its internal conflicts mid-last year showcased signs of heightened troubles within the team. Verstappen too, openly admitted that he wouldn't hesitate to leave Red Bull if the team's senior advisor Helmut Marko, who he is close to, is ousted by Red Bull.
While the conflict was reportedly resolved, teams like Mercedes and Aston Martin were eventually reported to try and bring Verstappen onto their turf.
Verstappen's performance peaked during the 2023 season when he secured his third championship title by winning 19 out of 22 races. It was also the Newey-designed RB19 F1 car that helped the Dutchman dominate the grid, leading Aston Martin to sign the legendary designer as its managing technical partner and shareholder.
Verstappen went on to win his fourth championship title last year despite Red Bull struggling with balance problems on the RB20 F1 car. With Aston Martin aiming to win races in the new era of regulations that begins next year, it won't be surprising if it persists in its efforts to sign Verstappen.
A report by the Daily Mail revealed that Aston Martin put a huge offer on the table to sign Verstappen, said to be worth £1 billion, and was dependent on him to sign more sponsors in the future. However, Motorsportweek reports that Aston Martin has denied making such claims.
Discussing Verstappen's contract that lasts until 2028, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner revealed that Verstappen would stay in Red Bull and F1, as he enjoyed the sport. This comes amid speculation that the 27-year-old driver won't fulfill his Red Bull contract. Horner said:
"Honestly, Max is his own man and from the conversations I've had, it's clear he doesn't see himself as a Fernando or Lewis and being around the sport for the next 15 years or so.
"He's got interests outside of Formula 1, he enjoys driving GT cars, he enjoys driving simulators, he enjoys driving LMP cars - and there are certain things that he's very old school about in many respects.
"Some of the noise and circus around Formula 1 doesn't sit comfortably with him, and so long as he is getting enjoyment out of what he does, he'll do it.
"As soon that as that enjoyment drops, he's got the strength of character and personality to say: 'Do you know what, I'm going to go and drive GTs next year'.
"He's unique in that Formula 1 doesn't define him, he enjoys and loves it, but as soon as that enjoyment dips, he would go and do something else.
"We are very grateful that he is our driver, and hopefully that will remain the case for many years to come, until at least 2028, but nobody has a crystal ball."