£3.1bn-valued F1 team could ‘farm out’ their ‘brilliant’ driver to rival Aston Martin for Max Verstappen signing

Aston Martin are targeting a swoop to sign Max Verstappen yet are not the only team with an interest in the Red Bull driver moving elsewhere on the grid, possibly in 2026.

The 27-year-old has been a part of the Red Bull ranks since before Verstappen debuted in F1 back in the 2015 season. But the problems the team from Milton Keynes are facing with the RB21 so far this year have raised the possibility that the Dutchman could look to break away.

Verstappen is under contract at Red Bull through the 2028 campaign but his terms feature a few exit clauses. The four-time reigning drivers’ champion could even have his pick of teams should Verstappen eye a new adventure, with Aston Martin just one of the teams interested.

Mercedes could ‘farm out’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli to another F1 team to sign Red Bull driver Max Verstappen

Canadian billionaire team owner Lawrence Stroll is driving the Silverstone squad’s pursuit of the Red Bull star with Aston Martin offering Verstappen a five-year, £1bn contract. It may be a hard deal to get for 2026, though, as Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are under contract.

Ralf Schumacher has also suggested that Alpine will do ‘anything’ to sign Verstappen as the Enstone outfit’s executive adviser Flavio Briatore and Groupe Renault CEO Luca de Meo are interested. But Verstappen is also a long-term target of Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

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Mercedes may have a seat available for Verstappen next year, as well, as George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli are both out of contract after the 2025 F1 season. And the Daily Mail now claims that Mercedes could ‘farm out’ Antonelli to another F1 team to sign Verstappen.

Wolff has a host of options on the Mercedes team principal’s hands to sign Verstappen with Russell and Antonelli without contracts for 2026. But the Briton is making his case to stay in Brackley very big with Russell enjoying a career-best start with podiums in each Grand Prix.

Yet the Silver Arrows will be reluctant to lose the Italian for good as many at Mercedes view Antonelli as the best thing to happen to them since Lewis Hamilton. The 18-year-old got the 40-year-old’s seat and is justifying replacing the seven-time F1 champion with his early form.

Hamilton joined Mercedes from McLaren for the 2013 season, and they went on to become the most successful driver-team pairing in F1’s history. The Briton won six drivers’ titles plus 84 Grands Prix, 78 pole positions and 153 podiums before moving to Ferrari for this season.

Max Verstappen can break out of his Red Bull contract through 2028 as early as this summer

F1 teams like Mercedes, Aston Martin and Alpine may not have long to wait to see if they will get a chance to sign Red Bull ace Verstappen as early as the 2026 season, as well. The Daily Mail adds that Verstappen can trigger a release clause in his Red Bull contract this summer.

READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats

Verstappen has a performance-based clause in his contract through 2028 that he can use in the summer if Red Bull are the fourth-best team. Currently, the Milton Keynes squad are third in the F1 constructors’ championship with 71 points between Mercedes (93) and Ferrari (57).

So, Wolff may only have until the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 1-3 to decide who to keep out of Russell and Antonelli if the £3.1bn-valued Mercedes F1 team can sign Verstappen. But Russell is expected to sign a two-year, £45m contract at Mercedes with an option for 2028.

Also, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone expects Verstappen would replace the ‘brilliant’ Antonelli to join Mercedes instead of taking Russell’s seat. The Briton is fourth in the drivers’ championship with 63 points and is also the only driver to finish in the top five in every race.