Max Verstappen offered €264 million by rival as he gets ready to leave Red Bull: Reports

Max Verstappen has been linked to Aston Martin again, and this time the move could help the Dutchman bag a massive €264 million contract at the Silverstone-based team, according to reports. The Lawrence Stroll-led team is known to shell out cash to tempt in extravagant talent, and the reigning world champion could be the next target.

Verstappen won the 2024 drivers' championship, but the F1 grid was oblivious to Red Bull's tender position in the paddock. Though the Dutchman has a valid contract with the Austrian giant covering him out till 2028, his desire to remain on top of the F1 stable might lead to drive him away from the team he has been with since he was a junior driver.

According to an Italian publication, Gazetta, Saudi Arabia's Private Investment Fund (PIF) is looking to take over the Aston Martin outfit. They have set their eyes on poaching Verstappen from Red Bull by giving him a €264-million contract, which would mean a $300 million contract for three years.

However, no confirmation regarding such a move has sparked up inside the paddock as of yet. The 27-year-old has been asked a myriad of questions about his tenure at Red Bull and has refrained from adding fuel to the fire.

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Max Verstappen is aware of Red Bull's delicate position in the F1 pecking order

Max Verstappen at the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia - Previews - Source: Getty

While Max Verstappen affirmed his loyalty to the team last year, some performance clauses might help him end his tenure early at the team. With Red Bull paling into the background more often than not in the early phase of the 2025 season (barring the Japanese GP), the reigning champion had opened up about how the Austrian giant is no longer the team to beat.

Speaking up about how far he is from the front of the field, Verstappen said (via The New York Times):

"At the moment, we’re not the quickest. Honestly, a lot of people are talking about it, except me. I just want to focus on my car, work with the people in the team. That’s the only thing that I’m thinking about in Formula One at the moment. I’m very relaxed."

"It’s still a very long road. We were sitting around this time last year, race five, and it was all looking great — and then we all know how the season ended up. So yeah, I’m hopeful that we can still improve things, and we’ll see what we get."

Meanwhile, Verstappen sits eight points adrift of the championship lead. Lando Norris is heading the championship table, but has Oscar Piastri and Verstappen breathing down his neck to snatch away any points if the Briton makes any mistake.