Aston Martin “spares no expense” in its bid to beat Mercedes thanks to the signing of Max Verstappen from Red Bull for the 2026 F1 season.
This is stated by former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos, convinced that Aston Martin “will do everything possible” to recruit Verstappen in its efforts to be “the most productive of the most productive” in F1.
Despite having a contract until the end of the 2028 season, Verstappen has seen his Red Bull career in doubt at F1 2024 amid tensions between his father Jos and team principal Christian Horner and the team’s loss of form in the track.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has made no secret of his intention to hire Verstappen to upgrade Ferrari-linked Lewis Hamilton for F1 2025.
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However, reports from Italy last week indicated that Mercedes will now likely announce teenage sensation Andrea Kimi Antonelli as George Russell’s teammate for next season, with an announcement expected at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
It is believed that Mercedes could try to recruit Verstappen next year before the first F1 rule changes in 2026, for which agreements with Silver Arrows are reportedly underway.
Mercedes had already transitioned F1 to V6 hybrid engines in 2014, laying the groundwork for a record run of eight consecutive constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles.
However, Aston Martin can rival Mercedes as a possible destination for Verstappen, and team owner Lawrence Stroll decided to see the Silverstone-based team emerge as a leading force in F1.
After announcing a partnership with Honda for F1 2026 last year, Aston Martin has recently held a series of star-studded appointments with former Mercedes engine guru Andy Cowell and Enrico Cardile, former Ferrari technical director, via registration.
The arrivals of Cowell and Cardile will likely be followed by that of Adrian Newey, the most decorated man in F1 history with more than two hundred wins to his name, with several reports in recent weeks claiming that Aston Martin would have won the race to point to the legendary designer.
– PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) August 12, 2024
The appeal of Honda and Newey, with whom three-time world champion Verstappen has achieved his good fortune at Red Bull in recent years, will likely have a difficult appeal in Aston Martin’s bid to sign the 26-year-old.
Doornbos, who took part in F1 with Red Bull in 2005/06, said on Monday that Aston Martin had “finalised” a deal for Newey, who will earn $100m over a three-year period.
And he believes the team will now turn its attention to signing Verstappen, having already “made overtures” towards the Dutchman.
However, Doornbos believes Verstappen will ultimately decide to sign for Mercedes, and the Dutchman’s relationship with the Brackley-based team is considered “strong”.
In a post on his LinkedIn profile, Doornbos wrote: “Max Verstappen’s relationship with Mercedes remains strong.
“Mercedes has a vacancy for 2025, and it is most likely that the Monza weekend will announce that Kimi Antonelli will have the possibility to make his debut in Formula 1 alongside George Russell.
“Max will still sign for Mercedes in 2026, although Aston Martin will do everything possible to influence him, sparing no expense.
“Led by Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin has been aggressively pushing towards a name contender in five years.
“Now in their third year, they want to make significant progress in the next two.
“Their exclusive engine deal with Honda in 2026 positions them as a factory team and Stroll is making a $1 billion investment to achieve their championship dream.
“With two-time champion Fernando Alonso already on board and the advances made to Max Verstappen, they point to the Array”
Doornbos’ comments follow a report from German publication F1 Insider which claims Aston Martin is not on Verstappen’s “wish list”, who has maintained a “confidential, open and normal dialogue” with Wolff and the executive leader. by Mercedes, Ola Kallenius.
Speaking to Sky Germany during a stop at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, Kallenius said the 2026 rules adjustments would constitute “an opportunity” to attract Verstappen and joked that the Red Bull star would “look wonderful in silver” .
He said, “The most productive driving force needs to have the most productive vehicle. And that’s our job: to put together the most productive package. “
“The cards will be reorganized in 2026. New order with new rules. It’s an opportunity. Who knows?
“But I think Max would look dressed in silver, don’t you think?”
Eddie Jordan has claimed that Merc’s most sensible bosses have met in Monaco to see how to meet the F1 champion’s wage demands. . . #F1 #MaxVerstappen #Mercedes #RedBull pic. twitter. com/ufGv8azqVC
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) July 26, 2024
In a recent Formula For Success podcast, former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan claimed that Wolff and Kallenius, along with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, owner of prominent Mercedes sponsor INEOS, met this year at the Mercedes Grand Prix. Monaco to prepare a “combat fund. ” ”. to cover Verstappen’s exorbitant salary in preparation for the Dutchman’s arrival.
Jordan, who predicted Hamilton’s surprise move from McLaren to Mercedes in 2012, said: “In Monaco there was a meeting between Toto, Jim Ratcliffe from INEOS [and] Ola Kallenius and together they pooled a fighting budget to cover this possibility. a salary requirement to cover Max.
“Max was aware of that. I’m not literally sure if he was present at the meeting, but it certainly provides an indication of the unwavering commitment of Toto and his team to integrating Max at some point.
“We’ll be surprised to see Max in a Mercedes car for years to come. “
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