Max Verstappen shouldn’t chase the money at Aston Martin – it could “end in tears,” warns former F1 insider Peter Windsor. The warning comes after rumors that the British team offered the Dutch champion a staggering £1 billion to leave Red Bull Racing.
Verstappen just grabbed his fourth straight world title in 2024, proving why he’s the best driver out there. But it wasn’t easy. Even with a tricky RB20 car, he pulled off some amazing drives to clinch the championship.
The drama at Red Bull has been real. They lost their star designer Adrian Newey after the Miami Grand Prix, and he ended up joining Aston Martin.
That billion-pound offer to Verstappen? Aston Martin says it never happened. When asked about it, people close to Max just smiled and said “That’s nice.”
Windsor, who’s been around F1 for decades, didn’t mince words on the Cameron Cc podcast.
“I wouldn’t take that deal,” he said. “When you’re racing well, you need the right atmosphere around you. From what I’ve heard from people who’ve left Aston Martin, it’s pretty stressful over there.”
He thinks Verstappen’s too smart to be swayed by just money.
“Max has enough cash already. It should be about enjoying racing and performing at your best. If someone needs to throw that much money at you, something’s probably not right.”
But what about Red Bull’s recent struggles? Windsor sees that differently.
“If Newey told Max, ‘Hey, I’m staying here for 10 years and we’re going to win lots of championships,’ that’s one thing. But working for Lawrence Stroll just for the money? That’s totally different.”
“Plus, there’s no guarantee Newey will stick around – he’s not getting any younger,” Windsor added.
The bottom line? Windsor believes racing with the right people matters more than chasing massive paychecks. For a champion like Verstappen, that could be the difference between continued success and a career misstep.
