Aston Martin tease Max Verstappen interest: ‘The door is always open’

Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack says the ‘door is always open’ for Max Verstappen amid speculation they will make a move for the Red Bull F1 driver following the signing of Adrian Newey.

On Tuesday, Aston Martin unveiled Newey as the head of their technical team from 2025.

Given Newey’s links to Verstappen at Red Bull, and Aston Martin teaming up with Honda from 2026, speculation about a move from Lawrence Stroll for the three-time world champion is already rife.

Speaking on Thursday at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Krack was asked about the prospect of signing Verstappen.

He said: “The door for Max Verstappen is always open, for everything.”

It’s likely Aston Martin won’t be able to sign Verstappen until 2027, with Fernando Alonso locked in until the end of 2026.

Lance Stroll’s future is secure given his father, Lawrence, owns the team.

Krack feels the signing of Newey will have an immediate impact.

“It will make a difference for everybody starting with the staff,” he explained. “When you manage to appoint Adrian Newey, it’s first of all, it’s a proof that the project is credible.

“That the whole vision of Lawrence is not only words but action. That we can take confidence as a team. This is not any more underdogs like it used to be in the past. It’s a team that should be confident it can do it.

“You have a completely different approach now with partners. Same for race drivers. I think it opens a lot of doors for the future.”

He added: “We will be more attractive in every area, just because of signing. Due to the increased credibility because it proves this project can really achieve its targets and if I was in university and would see this signing, I would say: 'I can probably learn most there, so let's try to get there'. So I think there will be that effect.”