Guenther Steiner has advised Max Verstappen to consider Aston Martin’s rumoured £1 billion offer but to hold off on accepting it until after the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The Dutchman was linked with a potential switch to Mercedes throughout the 2024 season as he became a four-time World Champion with Red Bull.
Despite struggles midway through the season with the performance of his car, Verstappen made it four consecutive titles since his first back in 2021.
Recently, the 27-year-old has been reportedly courted by Aston Martin, which has hired ex-Red Bull design guru Adrian Newey and will link up with Honda in 2026.
Verstappen is tied down to a deal with Red Bull until 2028, but the Daily Mail suggests that Aston Martin is courting potential sponsors by suggesting Verstappen could join in a move valued at around £1 billion.
Former Haas Team Principal Steiner originally backed Verstappen to take the offer no matter what.
“A billion is a big number, even if Max finishes last, he should go for a billion,” Steiner told GPblog.
“Some of them (the teams) cannot afford him, obviously, Aston Martin can afford him.”
However, Steiner has changed his mind and suggested that Verstappen should consider his options until the rule change has taken place to assess his options.
“Just wait [out] 26,” he said.
“I don’t know Max’s contract, what is in there, how he can get out, but I assume that he’s got the performance clause for the team there.
“If the team is not good, he can leave after 26′ because that’s the key.”
2026 F1 regs key to retaining Verstappen
Between the unrest behind the scenes and the unbalanced nature of the RB20 midway through the 2024 campaign, speculation of Verstappen considering a career in F1 outside of the Red Bull family started to grow.
There are concerns at the Milton Keynes-based outfit over whether it can provide Verstappen with a championship-winning car again amid the troubles of last season.
Both Red Bull boss Christian Horner and senior advisor Helmut Marko have already stressed the importance of getting it right in 2025 to ensure that Verstappen remains.
Steiner stressed just how crucial it is for the Austrian outfit to give him the package he desires, especially with the 2026 regulations coming up.
“If the car is good in 26, it would be good for another three or four years,” he explained.
“If you start on a new regulation, the new concept, the car, it takes you quite a while to get out of it.”
Aston Martin offer is a ‘bit fictional’
Another key factor in the future of the Red Bull driver’s career is the contracts of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.
Steiner argues that as both Hamilton and Alonso’s deals expire after 2026, “that solves the problem” should Verstappen want to leave a potentially uncompetitive Red Bull.
He also expressed doubts about the legitimacy of Aston Martin’s $1 billion offer.
“The billion? It’s a little bit putting it high because, that would set the record, which will never be broken again,” he said.
“That’s a bit fictional, but I’m sure Aston Martin will pay a good amount of money for him.”
If a move does happen, Steiner sees 2027 as the earliest opportunity for Verstappen, but as ever, there is no certainty over the pace of the Aston Martin beyond 2026.
“It’s like maybe 2027, but again, there is no guarantee for Max that Aston Martin will be good,” Steiner added.
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