Aston Martin respond to claim about £1 billion pursuit of Max Verstappen

Aston Martin have denied that they are preparing a £1 billion deal to sign four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen.

Crash.net understands that a report by the Daily Mail, which suggested Aston Martin are upping their efforts to sign Red Bull's Verstappen, is wide of the mark.

Current drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are contracted with Aston Martin until the end of 2026.

The duo helped Aston Martin secure back-to-back fifth-place finishes in the F1 constructors’ championship.

With Adrian Newey starting work with the team later this year - and operations now led by new team principal Andy Cowell - the Silverstone-based outfit are set up well for the future.

Talk of Verstappen joining Aston Martin has been frequent though, particularly since the signing of Newey, and alliance with Honda as their power unit supplier for 2026.

According to the report, Aston Martin were prepared to put together a world record package worth £1bn - which would have included making Verstappen a shareholder.

Verstappen is currently under contract at Red Bull until the end of 2028.

However, his future hasn’t been certain amid interest from Mercedes throughout last year.

The off-track turmoil involving Christian Horner, combined with Red Bull slipping back in the pecking order, led to intense speculation about Verstappen’s future.

Verstappen has insisted that Red Bull are his family, and he plans to remain loyal to them.

But, the number one priority for Verstappen is a championship-winning F1 car.

How could Aston Martin attract Verstappen?

With billionaire Lawrence Stroll running the show at Aston Martin, they have the financial capability to sign anyone.

This has been demonstrated by their pursuit and signing of Adrian Newey.

Newey, who is widely regarded as F1’s greatest-ever car designer, was announced as Aston Martin’s managing technical partner in September.

He will spearhead Aston Martin’s design team but, crucially, become a shareholder of the team.

According to Sky, Newey will earn a base salary of £20m at Aston Martin.

With Verstappen clearly F1’s top driver over the past four years, Aston Martin are seemingly prepared to go all-out to sign him.

The report claims Aston Martin would offer Verstappen a deal worth £1bn across the remainder of his racing career, with a potential shareholding on the table.

Verstappen will likely want to remain in motorsport, even if he calls time on his F1 career this decade, expressing interest in racing in the World Endurance Championship - something he could do with the British brand.

Aston Martin are also powered by Honda from 2026, with the Japanese manufacturer enjoying great success with Verstappen during their time with Red Bull.