Aston Martin told to go ‘all out’ for Max Verstappen with Saudi backing

Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert has advised Aston Martin to go ‘all out’ for Max Verstappen with backing from Saudi Arabia.

Verstappen’s future with Red Bull is up in the air after a difficult start to the year, despite the two parties having a valid long-term deal until the end of the 2028 season.

Speculation has been rife about Verstappen’s options should he decide to activate an exit clause in his contract and leave Red Bull as early as 2026.

Aston Martin, which has huge ambitions to become a title contender in F1, is seen as the Duthcman's most likely option, with the Silverstone-based team having secured the services of former Red Bull design guru Adrian Newey and a works engine deal with Honda.

Sky TV analyst Herbert believes the combination of Verstappen and Newey could make Aston Martin “hard to beat” in F1 in the coming years.

"It's very interesting if the Saudis get involved with Aston Martin,” the 60-year-old told CoinCasino.

“If you had the money, you would pay all you have to get Max Verstappen on your team. He's still, by far, the best driver on the grid at the moment. He's still out-qualifying the McLaren, which is just a little faster.

"If Aston Martin gets their development right for next year, you could see them become the next team to beat. But, they have a big hill to climb. If you have Verstappen and Adrian Newey at the top of their games, then it will be hard to beat them, but that isn’t a guarantee.

"Verstappen will be thinking where is the best place for him, and when can he leave. Helmut Marko alluded to a get-out clause which could come into effect this season, it would be perfect timing for Verstappen.

“I hope he chooses the right team so he can keep battling at the very top for the foreseeable future. We want him and the likes of Oscar Piastri to really fight for the title, which can only be good for the sport.”

Saudi Arabia’s state-owned Aramco petroleum company is heavily involved in Aston Martin as its title sponsor and has long been rumoured to take equity in the team.

Aston Martin’s F1 team is majority-owned by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, who also is a leading shareholder in the car company Aston Martin Lagonda.

Herbert doesn’t think Stroll will be willing to give up complete control of Aston Martin, given his personal interest in growing the team into a frontrunner - but a partial sale could be on the cards.

Should a Saudi-backed Aston F1 team then lure Verstappen away from Red Bull, the Canadian would face a tough choice between retaining two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso or his own son Lance Stroll.

"Lawrence Stroll is a shrewd businessman, and he's moving Aston Martin towards being a winning team,” explained Herbert.

“If he's getting closer with Saudi Arabia and has the best driver, we could see that plan come to fruition.

"I don't think Saudi Arabia would take 100% control of Aston Martin, because Lawrence Stroll is a petrol head. He may give them 50% or less, I don't know for certain.

"But for Lance Stroll, he's been disappointing the last few races, and Fernando Alonso is still performing better as his teammate, but it’s not a great car at the moment.

“Aston Martin will have to decide who is the perfect partner for someone like Verstappen to bring Aston Martin to the top. Lawrence Stroll will want to keep his son, and Lance Stroll has earned his position in F1. He's been on the podium before, led races and collected points.

“If you give him a good car, he may be able to move up a level, but his performance level will need to be more consistent.”