Christian Horner Dismisses Aston Martin’s Billion Dollar Question

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has brushed off recent rumours surrounding a massive £1 billion offer from Aston Martin to secure the services of four-time World Champion Max Verstappen. Horner insisted that Verstappen, who is under contract with Red Bull through 2028, is content with his current situation.

During press sessions at the F1 75 Live event in London, Horner was asked about his reaction to the headlines. He responded, “I know you guys [the media] have all got column inches to fill over a winter period, but a billion-pound driver, a billion dollars, it would be an eye-wateringly large amount of money.”

Horner emphasized Verstappen’s strong connection with the Red Bull team, stating, “I think Max is very happy in the environment that he’s in. He’s grown up in the team, he has a great relationship with the team, the engineers, the technicians and everybody that he works with. It’s down to us to provide a competitive car and continue to give him the platform to be able to achieve the results that he has over the last almost 10 years.”

When pressed on whether a team could realistically afford such a substantial salary, Horner refrained from commenting on other teams’ finances but noted, “Red Bull are relatively well-positioned, I would think, compared to others within the pit lane.”

Verstappen, who was also questioned about the reports, initially laughed and remarked, “It’s a lot of money.” He then clarified, “Honestly, when I read that, it’s the first time that I saw something like that. The only contact that I had with them was about GT3 for this year. That’s it. There’s not much to say, really, because there isn’t anything.”

Regarding the GT3 contact, Verstappen explained, “It’s not me personally driving, but I’m starting my own team for this year with the drivers, so, of course, some things need to be in place.”

As the 2025 season approaches, Verstappen will be aiming to join the elite group of five-time World Champions, which currently includes Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton. Meanwhile, Red Bull will be focused on reclaiming the Constructors’ Championship title after finishing third behind McLaren and Ferrari last season, despite winning the 2022 and 2023 titles.