Max Verstappen will set an “astronomical” asking price for teams attempting to lure him away from Red Bull for the F1 2026 season.
That is the belief of Damon Hill, the 1996 World Champion and former Sky F1 pundit, who is not ruling out Aston Martin or Ferrari joining Mercedes in the race to sign the reigning four-time World Champion.
Damon Hill: Max Verstappen will set ‘astronomical’ asking price
Despite being officially under contract until the end of the F1 2028 season, Verstappen has been heavily linked with a move away from Red Bull in light of the team’s recent competitive decline.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner confirmed to media including PlanetF1.com last year that Verstappen’s contract contains a “performance element” that could allow him to leave before the end of 2028.
It is believed that Verstappen could be free to activate an exit clause if he is lower than fourth in the Drivers’ standings after next month’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the final race before Formula 1’s summer break.
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Verstappen currently sits third in the F1 2025 Drivers’ standings with a nine-point advantage over Mercedes driver George Russell, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc a further 27 points behind in fifth.
A report from Italy on Wednesday claimed that Verstappen is close to sealing a move to Mercedes for F1 2025 with approval by the Mercedes board seen as the final ‘hurdle’.
It came after Russell, whose current contract expires at the end of this year, revealed at last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix that talks to take Verstappen to Mercedes are “ongoing.”
Hill, who has been a vocal critic of Verstappen’s aggressive style of racing over recent years, has claimed that Aston Martin could yet be the team to secure the World Champion’s signature due to his relationship with F1 design guru Adrian Newey.
And he suggested that Ferrari could also emerge as a potential destination despite Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc being under contract.
Asked where Verstappen will race next, Hill told GQ magazine: “There’s a good chance he’ll be reunited with Adrian Newey at Aston Martin.
“He’s already using the Honda power unit [at Red Bull], so he knows what that’ll be capable of.
“I think Mercedes must still be eyeing him up. Or it could be Ferrari, I don’t know.
“His asking price will be astronomical.”
According to estimated figures by PlanetF1.com, Verstappen’s Red Bull contract makes him the highest-paid driver on the current grid.
The 27-year-old is believed to be earning a salary of $75million (£55m/€63.6m at current exchange rates) in the F1 2025 season.
The next best-paid driver is Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time World Champion, whose Ferrari contract is thought to be worth $57m (£41.8m/€48.3m) per season.
Newey, the most decorated designer in F1 history with involvement in more than 200 F1 race wins, played an instrumental role in Verstappen’s success with Red Bull before announcing his decision to leave the team last May.
The 66-year-old joined Aston Martin in the newly created role of managing technical partner on the eve of the F1 2025 season, and is currently working on the team’s first car under the new regulations set to be introduced next year.
The F1 2026 season will mark the start of Aston Martin’s technical partnership with Honda, Red Bull’s engine supplier since 2019.
A report in the Italian media ahead of this year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix claimed that Aston Martin, which counts local oil giant Aramco as its title sponsor, was preparing an eye-watering $300million offer to sign Verstappen.
In a statement provided to PlanetF1.com, however, Aston Martin insisted that it remains fully committed to its existing driver line-up of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, both of whom remain under contract until at least the end of F1 2026.
An Aston Martin spokesperson said: “It’s normal for the media to speculate on driver market, but we have an amazing driver line-up that we are committed to and who are under contract for 2026 and beyond.
“Our focus is on delivering for our drivers by giving them a more consistent and competitive car.
“When we do, they are both capable of delivering great results.”
During his first trackside appearance with Aston Martin at the recent Monaco Grand Prix, Newey conceded that the team’s hopes of securing Verstappen’s signature will remain a “pipe dream” until it demonstrates that it can provide a winning car.
Newey said: “Max is clearly a phenomenal talent and he’s a supreme competitor.
“Part of that means that Max likes to break things down to a simple equation and that is, in this particular case, choosing a team that he believes will deliver the fastest car.
“If we’re to ever attract Max, the first thing we have to do is make a fast car.
“There’s no point in pipe dreaming about anything else for now.”
More on Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing from PlanetF1.com
Rumours have persisted for some time that Mercedes is likely to have the most powerful engine when the sport’s new rules – which will see Formula 1 embrace 50 per cent electrification and fully sustainable fuel – come into effect in F1 2026.
The Silver Arrows previously emerged as F1’s dominant force following the introduction of the V6-hybrid regulations in 2014, with Mercedes winning a record eight consecutive Constructors’ titles and seven Drivers’ championships split between Lewis Hamilton (six) and Nico Rosberg (one).
A report in April claimed that only one of the five F1 2026 engine manufacturers – Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, Red Bull Powertrains-Ford and Audi – is ‘in good shape’ for next season.
Two manufacturers are believed to be a long way behind the clear pacesetters, with another in severe difficulty having opted for a different form of biofuel compared to its rivals, which are all working with synthetic fuel.
Little is known about the progress of the fifth unnamed manufacturer.
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com earlier this year, Koji Watanabe, the president of the Honda Racing Corporation, admitted that the Japanese manufacturer is “really struggling” with the development of its F1 2026 powertrain.
He said: “Not so easy. We are struggling.
“Now we are trying our best to show the result next year.
“Everything is new. The motor is a new 355-kW, very compact one we need.
“Also the lightweight battery, it’s not so easy to develop. And also the small engine with the big power.
“Everything is very difficult, but we try our best.”
It is understood that Mr Watanabe, who was speaking in a second language, was making a more general comment on the technical challenge posed by the F1 2026 rules rather than giving a specific update on Honda’s progress.
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