Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has shut down rumours linking Max Verstappen to a move to Formula 1 rivals Aston Martin.
Last month a report by the Daily Mail emerged claiming that Aston Martin was trying to lure Verstappen to Silverstone on a multi-year deal worth £1 billion.
Verstappen is contracted with Red Bull through 2028 but reportedly has get-out clauses built into his deal with the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
Given the struggles Verstappen faced en route to his fourth title, the fledgling Red Bull Powertrains project making its debut in 2026 and Aston Martin recruiting Adrian Newey and Honda, some wondered whether the four-time champion would consider a move.
All parties involved in the speculation have denied its validity and Horner has revealed that a move of such seismic proportions wouldn’t necessarily play out in the public arena.
“Max has a very open relationship with the team, and, of course, you discuss things openly, as in any form of partnership,” Horner said in an interview with Goodwood.
“He’s made very clear what his position is towards the team. And, of course, you’re always going to discuss things behind closed doors. That’s normal operation.
“Every team is going to show interest in him because he is the exceptional talent that we all know, so you can only imagine he would be at the top of every team’s list.
“There was a lot of noise. And usually, when the noise is so public, it tends to be more… The serious stuff is usually done behind the scenes, not through the media.”
What does Verstappen have to say about his F1 future?
Before the Aston Martin report surfaced, Verstappen had already been questioned on the possibility of a move from Milton Keynes to Silverstone.
The question arose in conversation with Viaplay and in response to the broadcaster asking Verstappen if he’d considered a move to Aston Martin, he replied: ”No, I haven’t talked about that at all either, just nothing at all.
“At the moment I haven’t thought about that at all.”
If Red Bull can keep Verstappen in the title hunt he really has no reason to leave a team that gave him his F1 opportunity as a 17-year-old through the sister Toro Rosso outfit.
He has since gone on to clinch four world titles and rise to third in the all-time winners list across nine and a half seasons at the senior Red Bull squad.
“I have achieved a lot of success with them and it just feels like a second family,” Verstappen said.
READ MORE – Aston Martin pursuing Max Verstappen appears inevitable despite denial over bid
