The press conference ahead of the Saudi Arabian GP offered key insights into what could be Max Verstappen’s future. Rumors surrounding his potential departure from Red Bull are intensifying, with Aston Martin—Fernando Alonso’s current team—emerging as the leading candidate.
Red Bull’s season hasn’t started well, once again relying solely on Verstappen. Even the early replacement of Lawson with Tsunoda after just two races doesn’t seem enough to reverse the fortunes of a car that’s proving difficult to understand.
With a miracle stamped “Verstappen,” the Dutchman managed to dominate the Japanese weekend, taking pole and the win. But the very next weekend in Bahrain, the RB21’s flaws resurfaced.
In Sakhir, Red Bull completely faded—even Max Verstappen only managed to cling to sixth place, while Yuki Tsunoda brought the other car into the points. For now, it looks like a long, painful season for the Austrian team. Could this push Verstappen into the arms of Aston Martin?
That was one of the hottest topics during Thursday’s press conference, attended by both Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso, along with Isack Hadjar. Both were asked about the possibility of seeing the four-time world champion in green.
Verstappen in green? But there’s Alonso…
“Max a threat to my seat? No, I don’t think so since I have a contract for next year,” said Fernando Alonso to the media ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend. “But rumors are very positive for the team when a world champion is linked to other teams. They’re talking about a possible departure from Red Bull, and the teams mentioned are Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Ferrari.”
“This shows the future vision of our team. As I said last year, I’ll keep racing as long as I feel fast and competitive, and as long as the team needs me. Would I welcome Max as a teammate? Yes, but as I said, I think it’s unlikely to happen,” he added.
The Spaniard then spoke about his decision to trust Aston Martin and the team’s potential future direction. “It’s not about whether it was the right or wrong decision—you make your choices,” he said. “When I left Alpine, I knew I wouldn’t be fighting for the championship in the short term, and that’s how I have to think because I don’t have a long future in racing.”
“At the time, I thought Aston Martin had the better future. We’re not the team of the present, even though I wish we were, because I don’t know if I’ll be around in the future. But I’ll help the team achieve the best results in the shortest time possible,” he concluded.
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