F1 team will pay Max Verstappen “whatever he wants” to leave Red Bull

One of Formula 1’s most ambitious teams is ready to break the budget cap in pursuit of the sport’s biggest name.

Max Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull through the end of 2028, but several factors suggest that his future may not be set in stone.

The current 2025 season has been challenging, and the team’s performance has fallen well below the level of previous years.

At the time of writing, Verstappen is third in the championship standings behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, and he has expressed frustration with the lack of progress.

Red Bull is aware that Verstappen has the option to activate contractual exit clauses as early as the end of this season.
And while the team naturally wants to retain their star driver, there is, unsurprisingly, interest from other teams.

Both Toto Wolff and George Russell from Mercedes have hinted that behind-the-scenes talks are taking place.

Aston Martin ready with open checkbook

According to F1 Oversteer, Aston Martin is prepared to go to great lengths to lure the four-time world champion away from Red Bull.

The team has a market value of around 14.2 billion DKK (approx. $2 billion USD), and they have long been investing heavily in their future.

They have hired top names such as Andy Cowell, Enrico Cardile, and Adrian Newey, and with exclusive access to Honda engines from 2026, the foundation is in place.

“Lawrence Stroll will pay him whatever he wants,” explains motorsports journalist James Allen in the podcast The Red Flags.
“He might even offer shares, as he did with Newey.”

Allen does emphasize, however, that such a move would still require a great deal of faith and trust from Verstappen.

If he chooses to switch now, it would be without any guarantees of success.

“If Max stays and accepts a somewhat disappointing 2025 and possibly 2026, and then sees how Aston develops, he could very well take over from Alonso in 2027. It could become three years with a team he helps shape,” says Allen.

As of now, there’s no indication that a move to Aston Martin in 2026 is imminent, but the team’s progress and ambition could make them hard to ignore.

Looking ahead to the new season, it’s clear that several teams see a golden opportunity to try and poach the highest-paid — and possibly most talented — driver on the grid.

But for Verstappen, it’s not just about the money. It’s about believing in the project.