Newey at Aston Martin: Is Max Verstappen going to follow him?
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- Ludo van Denderen
Lawrence Stroll has never hidden his ambition to become a Formula 1 world champion. To achieve that, the Canadian needs the best people at the factory combined with the best people to drive the cars. On the technical front, Andy Cowell, Enrico Cardile, Dan Fallows, and, since Tuesday, Adrian Newey are the absolute best in their fields. Will Max Verstappen now follow?
With the dormant unrest within Red Bull Racing and the current sporting problems, no one will be surprised if Max Verstappen - who will stay with his current employer in 2025 anyway - decides at some point to break his contract with the Austrian racing team that runs until the end of 2028. There are plenty of clauses in Dutchman's contract that would allow this to happen. His options for 2026 are limited if Verstappen wants to move elsewhere.
McLaren and Ferrari are full
Ferrari is already locked in with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, while McLaren already has two top drivers under contract with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Mercedes is widely seen as the most logical destination should Verstappen decide to leave Red Bull behind. Toto Wolff has already made great efforts to sign the triple world champion this year - talks were even held with the Verstappen camp - and he is keeping a close eye on the situation for 2026.
Should Verstappen decide to turn his back on Red Bull, a place may become available at Mercedes. George Russell's contract expires after 2025 and Wolff was unwilling to say recently at Monza that the Brit is 100 per cent certain of a contract extension - with the Verstappen option in mind, of course. At least with the latter, there is an expectation that Mercedes will have the strongest power unit in 2026 when the new technical regulations come into force.
Aston Martin need to make room for Verstappen
Aston Martin has two drivers under contract for the 2026 season: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. For the British team to become a serious contender for the titles, Stroll is not the right man to fulfil that ambition. No doubt Aston Martin will then be interested in contracting the best technical team and the best driver on the F1 grid. Money will be no objection.
And yes, Verstappen is also watching what developments Aston Martin make next season. However, miracles should not be expected from this team, as the 2025 car will be a further development of the current car, and the focus will very soon be on the car for the following year. At the moment, it is far too early for Verstappen to say 'yes' to an Aston Martin offer, considering the situation at Red Bull and the potential of Mercedes. Stories that serious negotiations are already underway by the Verstappen camp with Aston Martin are to be taken with a large pinch of salt.
This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton
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