F1 News Today: Aston Martin get US billionaire investment, Max Verstappen gets RECORD payday

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F1 News Today

F1 News Today: Aston Martin get US billionaire investment, Max Verstappen gets RECORD payday

The biggest F1 news on Friday August 21

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Friday 21 August 2026 06:45 Updated: 13:12

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Lawrence Stroll has secured fresh investment at Aston Martin, with US billionaire Woody (Robert Wood) Johnson joining the F1 team's ownership group ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

According to an official statement from Aston Martin, Johnson has acquired a minority stake in the company and will also join the board of directors as vice chairman with immediate effect.

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F1 Driver Salaries: Updated list with incredible new Max Verstappen numbers'

Max Verstappen has reset F1 driver salaries again by becoming the sport's first ever $100m man, according to reports on Friday.

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While the contracts of superstar drivers are a closely-guarded secret, it never takes long for estimated numbers to begin leaking out about just how much new deals are worth.

Verstappen ended the biggest contract drama of the summer on Thursday when he signed a contract extension with Red Bull through to 2030. His previous deal, worth $70million per season, had been due to expire in 2028.

The new numbers...are eye watering.

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Lewis Hamilton Ferrari contract extension is imminent: 'Mark your calendars'

Max Verstappen signed his big F1 contract extension on Thursday, and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton could well be the next big name to get a new deal.

The 41-year-old Ferrari superstar has enjoyed a renaissance in 2026 after a truly miserable first season with the Scuderia.

Hamilton really struggled to adapt to life at Maranello in 2025, but things are very different this year - on and off the track.

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Max Verstappen was SO CLOSE to leaving Red Bull as F1 star makes shocking admission

Max Verstappen has admitted just how close he came to leaving Red Bull after 10 years with the all-conquering F1 team.

The 28-year-old Dutchman's future has been a massive storyline in the sport for months with retirement, a sabbatical or a move to another team all apparently in play.

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Red Bull chief issues shocking statement about 'undriveable' Max Verstappen car

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has issued a shocking statement about the team's much-maligned RB22 car.

Four-time world champion was describing it as 'undriveable' as early as the second race of the season in Shanghai, and things have continued in a similar vain since.

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Pierre Wache - shocking statement about the RB22.

A truckload of lawsuits, lizards and toads - welcome to F1's Dutch Grand Prix

The final F1 Dutch Grand Prix - for the foreseeable future at least - will take place at Zandvoort this weekend. In many ways, it is a miracle it ever returned at all.

The battle to bring an F1 race back to the Netherlands after a 36-year absence - complete with Max Verstappen's orange army of fans - produced a never-ending of hurdles to clear for the event's organisers.

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FIA under fire for controversial Russia decision

The Ukrainian government has written to the FIA - F1's governing body - to protest the decision to lift its ban on Russian competitors.

The ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors in international motorsport events had been put in place by the FIA in February 2022 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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F1 team boss announces 'incredibly exciting' double driver signing

You could almost sense the relief in every word that James Vowles wrote as he gleefully announced an 'incredibly exciting' double driver signing.

The 47-year-old Williams team principal has been under huge pressure in 2026 as his team's car underforms expectations in a big way.

The FW48 is considerably overweight for starters, meaning major issues for drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon as they bid to put points on the board.

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Dutch Grand Prix will be live and FREE on TV this weekend

F1 returns from its summer break this weekend as the final Dutch Grand Prix takes place at Zandvoort.

The coastal resort in the Netherlands will take centre stage for the last time in the foreseeable future as Max Verstappen's orange army of fans assemble again en masse.

And there is some very good news for fans hoping to catch the action live on TV.

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Written by

Graham Shaw - Consultant Editor

Digital sports leader with 30 years of senior level experience running global brands. Built sportinglife.com to be a behemoth in the UK as well as being in charge of the Planet Sport network of sites including planetf1.com, football365.com, teamtalk.com and planetrugby.com. Then grew goal.com to be the world's biggest soccer website in 18 languages and 37 territories. Was GM of Portals for Perform Group (now DAZN) with overall responsibility for sportingnews.com, spox.de and voetbalzone.nl.

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