Fernando Alonso tells Aston Martin what’s ‘unlikely’ amid five-year contract offer to Max Verstappen

Aston Martin are one of the teams in the race to sign Max Verstappen as soon as the 2026 Formula 1 season, with the Dutchman potentially considering leaving Red Bull.

It has not been a great start to the current campaign for the Milton Keynes outfit as Red Bull are still to fix their troublesome RB21. Verstappen also endured his worst race of the year so far last time out at the Bahrain Grand Prix, as the 27-year-old would only register a P6 finish.

Verstappen also only qualified down in P7 in Sakhir, as Oscar Piastri proved the gulf between McLaren and Red Bull when the conditions better suit their MCL39. The 24-year-old got pole position with a lap 0.582 seconds faster than Verstappen’s and won 34.395s down the road.

Such was the four-time reigning champion’s plight in the desert that Verstappen’s manager had a heated exchange with Helmut Marko in Bahrain. The Red Bull motorsport advisor also admitted after the round that ‘the concern is great’ that Verstappen will want to leave them.

Fernando Alonso would ‘welcome’ Max Verstappen to Aston Martin but doubts he will join as a teammate

Marko’s admission has also sparked speculation that Aston Martin have offered Verstappen a five-year contract worth £206m-a-season to join as early as 2026. The 64-time Grand Prix winner can get out of his contract at Red Bull through 2028 via performance-based clauses.

Yet Aston Martin are not the only interested team, as Ralf Schumacher claims Alpine will do ‘anything’ to sign Verstappen at the request of executive adviser Flavio Briatore. The former Toyota driver even feels McLaren CEO Zak Brown would be interested in signing Verstappen.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Neither McLaren nor Aston Martin technically have an opening for the 2026 F1 season, with Lando Norris plus Piastri and Fernando Alonso plus Lance Stroll under contract at the teams. Alonso also does not see Aston Martin being linked with Verstappen as a threat to his drive.

But the two-time F1 champion would welcome Verstappen to Silverstone as his teammate if Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll – the man behind their interest – wanted to pair Alonso with the Red Bull racer. Yet the 43-year-old believes that scenario is also unlikely to develop.

Alonso said in the pre-Saudi Arabian Grand Prix press conference on Thursday: “Verstappen a threat to me at Aston [Martin]? I have a contract, but the rumours are positive.

“When a champion is approached by other teams, us in this case, this explains the type of project we are undertaking. I will stay here for a long time even when I am no longer a driver. Yes, I would welcome him as a teammate, but I think it is unlikely.”

Aston Martin must show Max Verstappen they can build a race-winning car for 2026

Alonso and Stroll are both under contract at Aston Martin for at least the 2026 season. The 2005 plus 2006 F1 drivers’ championship winner is betting his hopes on design icon Adrian Newey’s arrival in Silverstone helping Aston Martin ace the new 2026 technical regulations.

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Aston Martin are even replacing Red Bull as the works engine partner of Honda next season, which could prove to be a big draw for Verstappen to join. The Dutchman has loved working with the Japanese brand since 2019, while Red Bull will design their first power unit in 2026.

But if Stroll does want the 41-time pole-sitter to replace Alonso or his son Lance, then Aston Martin must prove to Verstappen they can build a race-winning car. No one at Aston Martin expected their abysmal 2025 traction problems which have seen Alonso fail to score a point.