Helmut Marko's "logical" admission after Aston Martin's £1bn bid to sign Max Verstappen

Helmut Marko sees Aston Martin’s interest in Max Verstappen as “logical” given that they have signed Adrian Newey, but expressed doubts over the reported £1 billion offer.

Verstappen’s Red Bull future continues to be a hot topic amid a report by the Daily Mail claiming Aston Martin were readying a £1bn bid to sign him.

Aston Martin were reportedly prepared to offer Verstappen a shareholding, as well as a bumper deal to bring him to the team as one of their drivers.

Aston Martin have heavily recruited on the technical side in recent years, adding Newey to their star-studded line-up from next month.

Their headquarters at Silverstone have been heavily upgraded as they gear up for their Honda engine deal in 2026.

While Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are contracted until the end of 2026, speculation about Verstappen hasn’t dissipated.

Mercedes were also heavily linked with Verstappen after Lewis Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari.

Verstappen has insisted that he's happy at Red Bull and that they are his "family" - but reiterated that he wants to be in the fastest car possible.

Marko, who remains a key part of Red Bull's senior hierarchy, gave his view on the Verstappen to Aston Martin speculation. 

In an interview with Motorsport-Total, Marko said: “That Newey is a big Max fan is no secret. And then it’s only logical that you make him an offer.”

Marko doubts size of Aston Martin offer

Aston Martin’s reported £1bn deal to sign Verstappen would make him one of the highest-paid sportspeople in the world.

In a ranking published by Sportico, Verstappen featured in the top 20.

Verstappen earned a base salary of $70m (£55.5m) in 2024 as he clinched his fourth consecutive F1 drivers’ championship with Red Bull.

The Dutchman earned $6m (£4.7m) in endorsements, making his overall earnings for last year a whopping $76m (£60.3m).

While it’s unclear what Verstappen’s base salary would be at Aston Martin based on the £1bn deal, it would likely be in the hundreds of millions - a significant increase on his current Red Bull wage.

However, the figures involved are a surprise to Marko.

“I doubt whether it is really that high, especially given Aston Martin’s current share price,” Marko added.

“It is said to have been a high offer. But we don’t know whether the offer really existed.”