Speculation within F1 that Max Verstappen will leave Red Bull at the end of 2025 is said to be gathering pace. The Dutchman’s future appears in serious doubt after he needed a late overtake on Pierre Gasly to manage P6 in Bahrain, with his race plagued by pit-stop errors from his team.
The reigning world champion has also been angered by the treatment of Liam Lawson, who was demoted back to Racing Bulls just two races into the season. To exacerbate matters, a challenge for a fifth straight drivers’ title currently appears unlikely given McLaren’s superior pace. Indeed, the 27-year-old has already been linked with a number of rival teams despite being contracted to Red Bull until 2028.
Critically, however, Verstappen is said to have a clause in his deal that allows him to leave after this campaign if the team does not produce certain performance levels. According to Sky Sports’ Simon Lazenby, F1 insiders already believe he will drive for Aston Martin in 2026.
“Everybody’s talking about it in the paddock,” Lazenby said. “There’s no two ways about it. You go up to people from Dutch media, and some of them are saying, ‘We think it’s done already’.
“Others are saying he’s in discussions. This is the nature of it. Names will remain anonymous, but there are some that are saying he’s going off to Aston Martin.”
Lawrence Stroll’s team has yet to emerge as a serious contender in F1. However, the Canadian billionaire has invested heavily in their project, with a view to targeting a title challenge when the sport’s regulations undergo changes next year.
A move to Aston Martin would also reunite Verstappen with iconic engineer Adrian Newey. After 18 years with Red Bull, he left to become technical director for Stroll, and his departure has been cited as a pivotal factor in Red Bull’s struggles.
Despite the perceived problems, Verstappen remains third in the standings and is just eight points off overall leader Lando Norris. He’s won once in four races, taking the chequered flag in Japan earlier this month.