Max Verstappen getting F1's first Billion dollar contract with Aston Martin: Why that would be everything that the driver isn't

A few reports in the British press about Aston Martin offering Max Verstappen a $1 billion contract have taken the F1 world by storm. According to the reports, the representatives of the Silverstone-based team have been talking to potential sponsors about the squad acquiring the services of the Dutch driver.

This has certainly set the rumor mill into overdrive with several questions. Would the switch happen in 2025? Or would it happen in 2026? Who will Verstappen replace? Would Aston Martin be a strong enough team to fight for the title when and if Max makes the move? What about Red Bull?

While these questions make sense, the report goes against what Max has claimed throughout his career. According to reports, the Dutch driver is potentially being offered a $1B contract by Aston Martin. The contract would be for five years, giving Verstappen almost five times what he's reportedly getting paid at Red Bull and twice what Lewis Hamilton is getting at Ferrari.

The problem with Max Verstappen committing to Aston Martin

In the last few years, extensive investments have gone on at Silverstone with Lawrence Stroll, sparing no expense.

To add to this, a lot has already been put in place within the team. The new wind tunnel would be in effect this year, and that would be used to build the 2026 Challenger. Enrico Cardille has already made his way from Ferrari to Aston Martin. Andy Cowell, one of the key men behind Mercedes' dominant era, is leading the squad, and most importantly, Adrian Newey has joined the team.

In terms of putting the pieces together, Aston Martin is doing everything right. The problem, however, is what's going on at the track. The team has been going through a horrible run in the last two seasons where it could not put together a strong upgrade on the car. Every time something is brought, it either doesn't work or makes the car slower.

As a result, Aston Martin has been essentially stuck on an island where it's definitively slower than the top four teams but quick enough to ward off the bottom five. The team is missing that upward trajectory, which would be key in building a unit that could potentially fight for wins and the title in the future.

The famous boxing legend Floyd Mayweather used to say, "The proof is in the pudding.". As we sit here today before the start of the 2025 F1 season, there hasn't been any pudding for Aston Martin.

Why does the report defy everything Max Verstappen has said?

Now, let's come to the most important part of the equation. Whenever Max Verstappen has talked about what's in store for his F1 future, two basic themes have emerged. The first is that the driver wants to be a part of the team that can give him the fastest car.

Verstappen is not interested in long-term projects or building a team and investing time into that. He's just interested in having the fastest car at that very moment. To add to this, he's not looking at a long-term future in F1 in any way. His current contract already runs until 2028, and Verstappen has claimed that he's not looking to race beyond that.

If he joins Aston Martin, Verstappen would primarily have to be cognizant of two things. The first is that he's investing some time in a project where he has to accept that he might not have a strong car.

At this stage, there's no guarantee that the Aston Martin project would be a success, even though one can assume that if the right steps are taken, it could happen. He might have to take a bullet in accepting that everything is not yet in place for him to mount a title challenge.

Secondly, a 5-year contract means Verstappen would be extending his stint in F1 beyond 2028, a deadline he'd set for himself. In essence, an early deal with Aston Martin at this stage goes against everything that the Dutch driver has claimed.

It would mean we see a Verstappen who's willing to commit to a long-term future and, at the same time, invest a few years in a project. Could there be a case that the driver has changed his mind about how he wants to conduct his career? Of course, he could have and would make a lot of sense if he did take the plunge.

For now, though, a supposed billion-dollar contract for Max Verstappen with Aston Martin would be everything that the driver isn't, and hence, it's hard to take the reports seriously.