Max Verstappen is ‘targeting’ a rival F1 team’s staff in the paddock as he explores Red Bull exit

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Max Verstappen is under contract for Red Bull through the 2028 F1 season, but he has been at the heart of the driver market for the past two years and he will again in 2026.

The 28-year-old put pen to paper on a long-term deal with the Milton Keynes crew in March 2022. Red Bull moved quickly to tie Verstappen down following his first drivers’ title in 2021, but rival teams have remained on high alert to his availability due to the wording of his deal.

Mercedes paid very close attention to Verstappen’s situation as they moved to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2024, and again in 2025 before gifting George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli new contracts. The Silver Arrows are not the only outfit with eyes on the Dutchman, as well.

Verstappen can trigger a release clause in his Red Bull contract in 2026 if he is outside of the top two in the F1 drivers’ championship come the summer break. He needed to be outside of the top three to leave Red Bull come the close of 2025, yet he hit the summer break in third.

Max Verstappen ‘tries his best’ to speak to Aston Martin team members in the paddock

It has been said that Verstappen is seriously considering joining Ferrari in 2027 if Red Bull do not give him a competitive car under the 2026 F1 regulations. But Tim Hauraney now claims that Verstappen is trying his best to speak to Aston Martin staffers, in view of a future move.

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Hauraney has told Nailing The Apex that while Aston Martin are not actively eyeing a swoop to sign Verstappen or Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, they are both eager to understand what the team’s situation is. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are both out of contract next term.

“Aston Martin are not targeting them,” Hauraney said. “I think it’s the other way around. I think it’s Leclerc and Max who are targeting them. Sure, 100%.

“I watch Max in the paddock sometimes, he tries his best to have some conversations with some Aston Martin team personnel sometimes, have a good chuckle with everybody.

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“I can see that happening one day in the future if Aston Martin want to go in that direction. They have to be competitive, too.”

Charles Leclerc has visited Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll with his manager

Like Verstappen at Red Bull, Leclerc has a long-term contract with Ferrari keeping him at the team through the 2029 campaign. But Leclerc can leave Ferrari for free in 2026 thanks to his deal also boasting a release clause, which has seen him become an option for Aston Martin.

It has even been said that Aston Martin signing Leclerc is more realistic under Adrian Newey, after announcing that he will be their team principal from 2026. A lot of F1 fans think Newey could try to sign Verstappen and Leclerc for 2027 in an all-new Aston Martin line-up, as well.

Newey joined Aston Martin as their managing technical partner this March after leaving Red Bull in May 2024. He will now need to resolve the uncertainty concerning Alonso and Stroll’s futures, which could see Leclerc leave Ferrari for Aston Martin if their 2026 rules car is quick.

Nelson Valkenburg adds that Leclerc has been spotted visiting Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll alongside his manager, Nicolas Todt. Stroll will be the only figure with executive power over Newey from 2026, as Andy Cowell moves from being their CEO to chief strategy officer.

He added on Nailing The Apex: “We’ve seen the pictures [and] we’ve heard the stories that Leclerc and his manager, Nicolas Todt, have been visiting Lawrence Stroll. It would be clever of them to keep their options open.”