Max Verstappen Breaks Silence On Aston Martin Move Rumors

Saajan Jogia | 13 Hours Ago

Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen walks the padock at the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Max Verstappen has opened up on the speculation of moving to Aston Martin in 2026 when Formula 1 enters a new era of regulations. The Dutchman was backed for a potential move to the Silverstone outfit after Adrian Newey's switch to Aston Martin as managing technical partner, effective from March 2025.

Newey has been instrumental in designing Red Bull's cars, which have propelled the team to multiple championships during the ground effect era alone. One of his most iconic creations is the RB19, which played a key role in Red Bull's dominant 2023 season, securing 21 wins out of 22 races. However, it was announced this year that Newey will be joining Aston Martin.

Rumors have suggested that Newey's move to Aston Martin could attract Verstappen to the team, especially as Red Bull lost key talent to a rival. Coincidentally, Red Bull encountered car issues this year shortly after Newey's departure was announced, although no direct link has been established. Another potential factor influencing Verstappen's decision for the 2026 season is that Honda, Red Bull's current power unit supplier, will be parting ways with the team to become Aston Martin's exclusive engine partner.

Red Bull, on the other hand, will rely on power units developed by its new Red Bull Powertrains home company, in collaboration with Ford. However, with Red Bull having no past track record in developing Formula 1 engines, this angle could motivate Verstappen to make the leap to Silverstone. However, when he was asked about the possibility of moving to Aston Martin in the future, he told Viaplay, as reported by RacingNews365:

"No, I haven't talked about that at all either, just nothing at all.

“At the moment I haven't thought about that at all."

Verstappen added that there are other projects he wishes to explore before arriving at a conclusion. He added:

"In 2026, of course, there will also be new rules. But at the moment I'm not that busy with that, to be honest.

"I'm still very young, so a lot can still happen in the future as well. For me it's not just about F1 either. After that, I also want to do a lot of things. I am also thinking about that.

"Who are the right partners for that? Those are things I'm thinking about, but also don't necessarily have to make a decision about now."

Reports of the 27-year-old driver's potential move to Aston Martin have emerged amid former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya's revelation that Verstappen and Newey may unite at the team. This speculation comes as Lance Stroll's declining performance could open the door for his departure from the outfit owned by his father, Lawrence Stroll. He said:

“It wouldn't be the most surprising thing in the world if Max Verstappen joined Aston Martin, would it?" 

"Honda and Newey; they’d be pretty happy to have Max driving the car.”