Is Max Verstappen heading to Aston Martin?

We need racing back because F1 news is really reaching for stories this week.

Aston Martin was very quick to shut down rumors of a $1 billion dollar deal to sign Max Verstappen. It is the speed at which they shut down the rumor that suggests there may be more to this story than we think. In F1, hemming and hawing is always the way they typically go. Reports, including one from Mark Hughes, suggest those negotiations are still ongoing. 

Max Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, but with the issues at the team and the departure of Newey, it seems likely that Max would depart. As we all know, F1 contracts are pretty flimsy, see Lewis Hamilton breaking his Mercedes contract and Sergio Perez signing a two year contract for Red Bull and getting fired before the new season even started. The only strong contract we have seen of late is Lando Norris’ aggressive first contract with McLaren. Zak Brown made it very clear, he was not getting out of that even when the team struggled and Red Bull flirted with signing Norris.

It seems likely Max will depart Red Bull after the frustrations of this last season if there isn’t a significant turn around this year. I would not discount that he may choose to retire. Max has never said he wants to break Hamilton’s or Schumacher’s record. Max said “I don't have this desire to win eight or nine titles.”

He wants to be a part of his child’s life, which is coming during the 2025 season. Add the FIA overreach with swearing, the increased media requirements and the change in regulations in 2026, Max may just want to walk out the door. 

Max said the following "For me, it depends on how the new cars will be to drive from '26 onwards. Are they enjoyable to drive? The amount of races, how much you're away from home. It's demanding.”

But if I could see a team with George Russell and Max Verstappen, I would choose that option everyday. Toto Wolff is carrying the contract around and is ready to go. 

A Williams Esport Racer went on a rant about Max Verstappen being a spoiled brat and that he would be nothing without his father during a Sim race. While I am not always a fan of Max Verstappen’s tactics on the track, it’s hard to be a spoiled brat when Jos Verstappen is your father. Jos Verstappen is an abuser, he was jailed for abusing and trying to run over his girlfriend with a car. He was charged but cleared of abuse charges by Max’s mother, who had a restraining order on him. Stories of his abuse towards Max have been told by Max, Pierre Gasly and others in the karting world. While Max is responsible for his own behavior now, it’s hard to forget how he was treated as a child and how that forms a person’s response to stress as an adult. 

Lewis Hamilton crashed on his second day of testing with Ferrari. Everyone either wants to point to how he has won the championship the next year after crashing in testing or point to this as the end of his career. It could also just be that he has spent 12 years in a Mercedes and is learning a new car. Maybe there is middle ground between Lewis winning a World Championship and this move destroying his career we could all exist in until the season starts? Nah, that would be an insane ask for the internet. 

Former F1 driver Jacky Ickx stated his “theory” on why Ferrai went with Lewis over Carlos Sainz and it’s politics, marketing and economics. Can this even be called a theory or just a fact? Lewis Hamilton, at worst, can most likely equal Carlos Sainz. At his best, he could win a World Championship. So if he can equal Carlos in points, why would you not welcome the insane amount of value Lewis brings to a team. Considering how ubiquitous photos of Lewis’ first day at Ferrari were, Ferrari made a great call. No matter what happens, championship or not, they are making bank and the value of their team has skyrocketed. And if it doesn’t pan out, I’m sure Ferrari’s incredibly kind goodbye to Carlos was their way of keeping the door ajar in case they need him. 

Check out my weekly PR video for thoughts on the Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton photos.

Adrian Newey was a bit more open about his reason for leaving in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport which he said would have been a surprise to himself even a year ago. 

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"But for various reasons, I felt I wouldn’t be true to myself if I stayed at Red Bull so, the first difficult decision was exactly that, do I stay or not at Red Bull, so I obviously came to the conclusion that if I’m being honest with myself I couldn’t."

An interesting comment on what occurred at Red Bull last year, and not a great sign for this season. Good for Newey for standing for what he believes and being true to himself. We need more people like Newey in motorsport and around the world, unwilling to support a system that no longer reflects their values. What you condone is who you are. Where is Adrian Newey merch when you need to support this icon?