Is Verstappen really a $1 billion Aston Martin man?

Many a mouth dropped open in amazement in reading an article in the Daily Mail on Thursday evening. 

It was reported that Aston Martin was preparing a $1 billion five-year deal to sign Max Verstappen to Lawrence Stroll’s team. According to the outlet, potential sponsors are being told that Verstappen is set to race in green. Big question: True or false?

To verify whether there could be a grain of truth in the reports, two questions need to be answered. A: Could Aston Martin be a team in which Verstappen would fit; B: Is the $1 billion figure mentioned realistic?

The answer to question A has been subject to change in recent years, with the ball rolling increasingly in the ‘yes’ direction. It is a team with enormous ambitions and an outfit with an owner who is not shy about pumping staggering amounts of money into it.

A state-of-the-art factory? It has been built and is already in operation. A state-of-the-art wind tunnel? That should be operative in the first quarter of this year. These are major investments with which Aston Martin is setting the tone in its ambition to become the best in F1. 

Without the right people in those big buildings, progress remains difficult, but Aston Martin has also struck gold on the personnel front. In Adrian Newey, it attracted the most decorated F1 designer. 

In Andy Cowell, its new team principal following a promotion, it hired an F1 ‘engine guru’. He is responsible for the dominant Mercedes power units of the turbo-hybrid era from 2014-2021.

These are just two examples of technical heavyweights, but the list is longer. Another important fact is that Honda will supply engines exclusively to Aston Martin in 2026. 

The team gets the undivided attention of the people Verstappen holds so dear to his heart for the way it helped lead Red Bull to world titles after the misfortune with Renault.

Verstappen is a loyal person, with his nine-year Red Bull career proof of that, but a possible departure after so many years does not change that fact. 

That loyalty can also apply towards Honda, which has been dominant since the current regulations were introduced in 2022. How strong Red Bull Powertrains will be next year is still an unanswered question.

In short, the facilities are there, the people are there and the engine will be there to theoretically give Verstappen what he most desires, a competitive car. 

Of course, Mercedes is also widely considered capable of building a good car and engine, but at the Silver Arrows, he is not reunited with Newey and Honda.

$1 billion for Verstappen?

If Verstappen wants a good car above all else, a good salary is secondary. But that doesn’t mean he does not factor it into his considerations.

Verstappen lives in Monaco, lives a life of luxury, and, as became clear this week, is not averse to making big purchases in the form of a luxury yacht.

But the $1 billion, how real is that quoted amount? That figure reportedly includes more than just paying salaries. It also reportedly involves an equity package, given the exposure Aston Martin would receive having Verstappen on the team.

But if Aston Martin wants to entice Verstappen into making the switch with money, it will have to dig deep. Forbes reported last month that Verstappen pocketed $60 million in salary last year, plus $15 million in bonuses. 

Multiply those figures by five, and you arrive at $375 million. Should the 27-year-old claim another world title, his value would increase further, likening the chances that Red Bull would need to improve the driver’s salary even more.

Aston Martin will have to go well beyond that with a bid to appear credible to Verstappen from the outset. $1 billion is a staggering sum, but one mentioned in a world where staggering sums are the norm anyway. 

Should the reports be true, Verstappen will instantly become the top athlete with the most lucrative deal in sporting history. However, Aston Martin has categorically denied the report, insisting that Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are contracted until the end of 2026. 

If the report did end up being remarkably true, then what may also come into play is Verstappen’s future after F1. He is intent on appearing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans at some point, and Aston Martin will be represented with the Valkyrie starting next season. 

Verstappen also wants to expand his racing team – Verstappen.com Racing – online, but also on the race track. Aston Martin could be a strong partner in this with the construction of GT cars.

The combination of factors means the story is not all that implausible.

These are unconfirmed reports, let’s make that clear. And yes, the amounts mentioned in particular sound unthinkable.

But what if you are convinced as a team that Max Verstappen is the best F1 driver ever? 

What if you are convinced as a team that the Verstappen-Honda-Newey triangle guarantees success? 

What if, as a team, you are sponsored by a company like Aramco and not reluctant to pull out the chequebook?

What if you are Lawrence Stroll and you demand success at costs?

On that basis, it is not beyond the realms of imagination that Max Verstappen could yet join Aston Martin for $1 billion.