Aston Martin tease big Max Verstappen approach with ‘door always open’ for Red Bull switch

Aston Martin boss Mike Krack has welcomed the idea of bringing Max Verstappen into the fold at his team, should the Dutch driver be interested.

With Aston Martin having signed up Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey as the 65-year-old takes up a senior role at the Silverstone-based squad on March 1st 2025, speculation has abounded that Max Verstappen is also on Lawrence Stroll’s shopping list.

Mike Krack: The door is always open for Max Verstappen

Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until the end of F1 2028, but his previously unshakeable relationship with Red Bull was pulled into the spotlight this year as his father Jos called for the job of team boss Christian Horner.

With Mercedes’ Toto Wolff publicly flirting with trying to tempt Verstappen away to join his team in place of the departing Lewis Hamilton, the possibility of the Dutch driver leaving the Red Bull fold suddenly didn’t seem quite as unthinkable as it once may have been.

But, with an uneasy peace being established in recent months as the Red Bull RB20’s form has ebbed away, Verstappen distanced himself from the possibility of leaving the team any time soon but has made it clear he is nearer to the end of his F1 career than to the start.

It could be that F1 2026 proves a hugely decisive factor for the reigning F1 World Champion, with Verstappen expressing his misgivings about the upcoming regulation changes which are likely to completely change how the cars handle and drive.

Given the likelihood of performance-related contract clauses in Verstappen’s deal with Red Bull, the possibility of the Milton Keynes-based squad producing a car which may not allow him to fight for the title next year could result in the Dutch driver eying up a fresh start elsewhere for 2026 and, with Aston Martin having snapped up one of the main architects behind all of his title-winning cars, might Stroll’s team be an attractive destination?

Certainly, with a brand-new factory and wind tunnel coming online, the signing of Newey, and the arrival of a factory Honda deal to go alongside what would likely be a huge paycheque offer, Verstappen could be one of the final pieces of the puzzle for Stroll’s increasingly powerful team.

Speaking to media in Baku, Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack smiled when asked if the arrival of Newey could open the door for a Verstappen signing, as Italian publication AutoSprint has claimed Stroll has targeted signing the three-time F1 World Champion.

“The door for Max Verstappen is always open, for everything,” Krack summed up.

More on Max Verstappen and Aston Martin

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Adrian Newey signing marks ‘different approach’ for partners and race drivers

Having secured one of the biggest signatures in F1, Krack elaborated to say how Newey’s arrival marks a huge shift in mentality for a team and hinted that a change of approach with regards to race drivers could be on the cards.

Fernando Alonso is on a recently-signed long-term deal with the team that will likely see him out to the end of his F1 career, while Lance Stroll, as Lawrence’s son, is on an indefinite contract – however, the Canadian has been linked with a move into the Aston Martin WEC team as a solution if his father is able to convince Verstappen to join.

“I think it would make a difference for everybody,” Krack said of Newey’s signing and the impact on the team’s thinking.

“Starting with the staff. I think when you manage to appoint Adrian Newey, it’s proof that the project is credible, that the whole vision of Lawrence is not only words, but it is really action that we can take confidence in as a team.

“This is not anymore an underdog like it used to be in the past, it’s a team that should be confident that it can do it.

“But then, also, you have a completely different approach with partners and the same for race drivers. So I think it opens a lot of doors for the future. ”

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