Even Lawrence Stroll knows he can’t afford Max Verstappen after hearing Red Bull’s demands

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Aston Martin will be one of the teams hoping Max Verstappen’s talks with Mercedes are unsuccessful. They’ll still be dreaming of a move for the four-time world champion.

Verstappen has decided not to join Aston Martin for 2026 and is only believed to be negotiating with Toto Wolff at the moment. That makes sense – Aston have yet to prove themselves, despite all the hype.

Currently eighth in the constructors’ (albeit level on points with Racing Bulls ahead), they’re prioritising the 2026 season. Former Red Bull designer Adrian Newey is heading up the project after a spectacular recruitment drive from Lawrence Stroll.

Aston will also have an exclusive engine deal with Honda, who have powered all of Verstappen’s title-winning cars. But it’s too risky for a driver of the Dutchman’s calibre to join until they’ve shown that they can contend.

Aston Martin and Mercedes unwilling to pay Max Verstappen buyout

While it runs until the end of 2028, Verstappen’s Red Bull contract contains an exit clause. That much is clear, although reports on the exact details have varied.

Most believe that Verstappen’s clause requires him to be in the top three in the standings, either permanently or at a given point in the season. He currently has an 18-point cushion over George Russell in fourth.

If that clause doesn’t become active, then the only way to extract him from Red Bull is buy him out of his contract. Michael Schmidt says no team would pay that fee on top of Verstappen’s £59m-a-year salary.

While Schmidt doesn’t specify the ‘exit fee’, it’s previously been suggested that Red Bull will demand nine figures for Verstappen.

“If the exit clause doesn’t allow him to get out, then he will stay there,” the German journalist said. “The exit fee, together with the salary that Verstappen has to be paid, is so high that we hear no team will pay that, not even Mercedes.”

Red Bull have now denied a ‘nonsense’ rumour about Max Verstappen’s contract

Billionaire Stroll has invested nearly £800m in Aston Martin as he tries to turn them into world champions. Driver salaries are exempt from the cost cap, but there are still limits to what he’ll pay.

One theory is that Verstappen is negotiating with Mercedes over a 2027 move. If he wants to wait a year to assess the pecking order under the new rules, it could keep the door open for Aston Martin.

Theoretically, a buyout could be less expensive next year, when Verstappen will be closer to the end of his contract. But suitors will still be hoping to exploit contractual mechanisms.

There have been suggestions that Verstappen’s exit clause is linked to Red Bull’s constructors’ position. Yuki Tsunoda’s desperate struggles have left them down in fourth.

But according to journalist Erik van Haren, sources with knowledge of the situation have described this as ‘nonsense’.