verstappen, austria, red bull — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

F1 chief appears to rule out Max Verstappen 2026 signing

Max Verstappen has had a torrid season at Red Bull

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Accredited motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 22 July 2025 21:00

Max Verstappen seems to be ruled out of a F1 team's future plans after an Aston Martin chief divulged his feelings about his current driver lineup.

It has been a rocky month for Red Bull, with the exit of team principal Christian Horner and continuing speculation about Verstappen's future.

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 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 happy with F1 lineup

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 appearing to rule 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."