Red Bull’s decline has left the team puzzled, with Verstappen voicing his frustration in multiple post-race interviews, particularly in Baku where he claimed that they would be ‘bad until the end of the season’.
The team have also had to contend with issues off-track, following allegations against team boss Christian Horner of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ by a female colleague - claims that have been dismissed following an internal investigation.
However, Jos Verstappen has argued that the team is being ‘torn apart’ by Horner, especially after high-profile defections from Red Bull stalwarts Jonathan Wheatley, and Adrian Newey.
The legendary designer will join Aston Martin from March 2025, as their managing technical partner and a key figure to help them launch a championship bid.
Whilst their current line-up consists of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, some believe that instability at Red Bull could force Verstappen to look elsewhere in 2026.
Speaking ahead of the Azerbaijan GP, Verstappen revealed he was open to the idea of moving to Aston Martin, stating that it was something to think about ‘for the future’.
The Dutchman has now taken to track in Aston Martin machinery whilst F1 has a mini-break, which will do nothing to quell those rumours.
It is a stunning development to see Verstappen testing sports cars given the recent talk that he could soon depart the sport altogether. Verstappen has openly discussed racing in other series, such as at Le Mans, so racing outside of F1 is an avenue he could potentially explore in the future if he feels his time in the series is up.
In response to the above post, Aston Martin even left a cheeky comment on Verstappen’s Instagram, which read: “The Vantage GT3 looks good on you Max 😉.”
Fans were quick to spot the union with some questioning whether it was a ‘nod to the future’, and speculating about a move for the champion.