Max Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull that runs until 2028. A bond that Aston Martin apparently cannot break with a salary of 9 billion kroner.
9.01 billion Danish kroner. That's what Max Verstappen can secure in salary by switching to Aston Martin, according to the English media Daily Mail.
But the fast Dutchman is not interested in that.
Just as Aston Martin has done, Max Verstappen and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner are now denying the story.
– That's a lot of money! When I first saw it, my reaction was that it was the first time I had even heard of such a thing.
"The only contact I've had with Aston Martin was regarding GT3 for this year. That's all," Verstappen said.
Christian Horner has also tried to put the story down. The team principal believes that no Formula 1 team can afford something like that.
– I know they have to fill the gaps over the winter, but a car for a billion pounds? That's a breathtaking amount of money. But Max is very happy in the environment he's in, says Horner.
Horner also points out that Red Bull has nurtured Verstappen into the driver he is today, and that the team remains committed to delivering a car that can keep the Dutchman on the edge of his seat.
– We need to give him a competitive car and continue to give him the platform to achieve the results he has had over the last ten years.
Instead of changing around in Formula 1 himself, Max Verstappen would like to confirm that he is running 'his own' business outside of Formula 1. It concerns a team for GT3 racing.
– No, I'm not the one driving. I'm starting my own team this year, and we'll get it all in place, explains the Dutchman.
However, there are indications that the story of the switch to Aston Martin is not going away.
A bit like Lewis Hamilton assured the world that he was a Mercedes driver and that that was how his contract looked. That is, until he switched to Ferrari.
