F1 chief seemingly rules out Max Verstappen move in 2026 driver admission

Verstappen with Mercedes or Aston Martin — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

F1 chief seemingly rules out Max Verstappen move in 2026 driver admission

Max Verstappen's future has been a major talking point

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 23 July 2025 09:57

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An F1 team chief has seemingly ruled out signing Max Verstappen as he looked to the future with his current driver lineup.

In the break between Silverstone and Spa, reports have speculated on Verstappen’s future after Christian Horner’s Red Bull axe and the decline in the team’s performance.

While Mercedes are currently the favourites to acquire Verstappen’s signature, the four-time world champion has also been linked with Aston Martin and a return to an Adrian Newey-designed car in the past.

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However, Aston Martin seemed to rule out this possibility in a discussion over their current drivers, where team principal Andy Cowell made it clear they were content with their lineup of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

"Fernando is one of those amazing drivers," Cowell said in conversation with F1 presenter Lawrence Barretto.

"He's got great experience. His race craft is tremendous but also his vision for where we should be going is incredible.

"He is looking at every little bit of detail of the car. He isn't just thinking about how the car felt to him in a session or in a race so he's an exciting individual to have in the team."

Aston Martin appear content with their current lineup

Will Aston Martin hire Verstappen?

Alongside Alonso at Aston Martin, is Canadian driver Stroll who has eight years worth of F1 experience and is the son of the team owner Lawrence Stroll.

As Cowell turned his attention to Stroll Jr, he seemed to let slip the Canadian’s long-term future with the team and thus ruling out a potential grab for Verstappen.

"Lance is really enthusiastic about the future of the team and next year so we're really pleased that he is also signed with us for next year," Cowell continued.

"And when you look at the points, fortune was going with him at the start of the year and has perhaps dropped away a little bit but he's pushing hard.

"In the last couple of events, he's shown the performance but then, bad luck in Qualifying with red flags and so on has stopped him from from pushing forwards."

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