Reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has reportedly been offered a lucrative contract to leave Red Bull.
This week, the hot topic ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has been Verstappen's future.
Despite winning the Japanese Grand Prix earlier in the month, Red Bull's continued struggle has led to reports linking Verstappen with a move away.
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The likes of Aston Martin, Mercedes and McLaren have all been tipped to make a move for the four-time Formula 1 world champion.
On Friday morning, it was claimed that Verstappen had been offered a mega contract to leave Red Bull for Silverstone-based Aston Martin.
As reported by Italian news outlet La Gazzetta, Verstappen is determined to leave Red Bull and could sign for Aston Martin in a deal which has been labelled as the richest contract in F1 history.
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The offer is said to be $300 million across the next three years and it has been claimed that Aston Martin could receive backing from Saudi Arabia to make the deal happen.
Aston Martin respond to huge Max Verstappen 'offer'
When approached by SPORTbible for comment, Aston Martin issued the following statement:
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"It’s normal for the media to speculate on the driver market, but we have a fantastic driver line-up that we are committed to and who are under contract for 2026 and beyond.
"Our focus is on delivering for Lance and Fernando by giving them a more consistent and competitive car. When we do, they are both capable of delivering great results."
Speaking on Thursday in Jeddah, Verstappen snapped back at Sky Sports commentator David Croft when he was asked about his future.
Crofty asked: "So he's [Marko] getting the wrong end of the stick? You're not thinking of leaving Red Bull?"
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Verstappen hit back: "No, I think [you] just focus on commentating, I'll focus on driving and then you don't need to think about any other scenarios."
Topics: Max Verstappen, Formula 1, Red Bull Racing
Marcus Chan