Max Verstappen isn’t the most important piece in this year’s F1 driver market, journalist Peter Windsor says. Verstappen is under contract with reigning champions Red Bull until the end of 2028 but there has been uncertainty over his future.
Mercedes have been going all-out to sign Verstappen as they prepare to lose seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Toto Wolff is apparently ready to go after chief engineer Pierre Wache if it helps to lure the Dutchman, while he could also a lucrative long-term ambassadorship – something even Hamilton hasn’t received.
While Windsor has challenged Verstappen’s centrality in an interview with Cameron F1, numerous drivers may be waiting to see whether he definitively commits to Red Bull before they decide on their future. Three-time race-winner Carlos Sainz, who used to be part of their driver academy, could be one of them after Ferrari released him to sign Hamilton.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso may also be holding out for a chance at Red Bull. Aston Martin are set to offer the Spaniard a new deal but he might hesitate before signing on the dotted line.
Elsewhere, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has emerged as a possible replacement for the 57-time victor. It’s expected to be a frantic driver market this year, triggered by Hamilton’s move and the fact that more than half the grid are out of contract.
Why Adrian Newey holds key to F1 driver market
Rather than Verstappen, Windsor reckons it’s actually Red Bull’s chief designer Adrian Newey who sits at the centre of this year’s driver market. If Newey leaves, which would be unexpected, it could prompt the 27-year-old to follow him out the door.
“I think the premise of everything being based around Max is wrong,” he said. “I think everything is based on Adrian Newey. Max will make a decision based on whether Adrian Newey stays at Red Bull or maybe goes somewhere else, which I don’t think he will.”
Newey was the mastermind behind the RB19 car that put together the most dominant season in F1 history last year, winning 21 out of 22 Grands Prix. The RB20 is on course to crush its opposition in similar fashion and make it three straight titles for the team.
The 65-year-old has an extensive track record of success at the pinnacle of motorsport. He’s been part of 25 title-winning campaigns overall, 12 for teams and 13 for drivers.
Will Adrian Newey go to Aston Martin?
Inevitably given the results he’s delivered for Red Bull and his status within the sport, Newey has attracted interest from rival teams. Chief among them, it seems, is Aston Martin, who have recently ‘upped the ante’ in their pursuit.
Lawrence Stroll apparently sees both Newey and Verstappen as feasible targets in what would be a sensational double swoop. One report claimed that Christian Horner wanted Newey to focus entirely on the team’s hypercar project, potentially prompting him to look elsewhere, but Red Bull have since refuted this.
Wolff has refused to rule out hiring him for Mercedes, although he may only do so if he believes he can get Verstappen too. Elsewhere, David Croft ‘would love’ to see him join Hamilton at Ferrari, but he’s already rejected three offers from the Prancing Horse.
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