Dr. Helmut Marko acknowledges the genuine possibility that Red Bull might part ways with Max Verstappen in favor of Aston Martin.
Max Verstappen's management team, featuring his unpredictable father Jos, has been considering a move to Mercedes for the 2026 season.
However, Aston Martin has successfully enlisted Red Bull's renowned technical expert Adrian Newey, starting March next year.
During an interview in Baku on Thursday, Verstappen stated that he "very quickly" had conversations with Newey following the announcement.
"For sure," the Dutch driver commented, "I know that Lawrence (Stroll) is pushing flat out to make it a success and of course I hope for them that it can be a success."
The three-time world champion mentioned that it's "difficult to tell" whether Newey leaving has played a role in Red Bull's recent dip in performance. "But I've always said that I would have loved for him to stay."
"There comes a time when you can't change these things anymore, so you're just excited by people looking for new challenges," he added.
Ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, also a close associate of Newey, thinks the Verstappen camp will undoubtedly be evaluating their future possibilities.
"Max Verstappen and especially his father and his management want to win, they want to fight for the world championship," he told formel1.de.
"Adrian Newey is a well-known figure for them, and so is Honda."
Schumacher further believes that Verstappen's team may be apprehensive about Red Bull's 2026 engine initiative partnered with Ford, particularly with alternative Mercedes and Honda-powered choices available.
"There still seems to be a bit of a problem there," the German responded when questioned about the Red Bull Powertrains project.
"It may not be so good after all."
Consequently, even Red Bull's leading F1 advisor Marko concedes that the team might indeed part with its key driver.
"Max drives where he can win," he told Kleine Zeitung.
"Aston Martin has the most modern factory, the wind tunnel will be operational next year and Honda engines will be added to that. Everything fits," the Austrian stated.
"And if you look at history, it is clear that wherever Newey has gone, there has been an upward trend. I don't know why it should be any different at Aston Martin."
"But Max also knows that he can win titles with us if we can get through this world championship now. That is an absolute must," insisted Marko.
Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack has already stated that the door to Verstappen is "always open". So, is the 26-year-old driver genuinely considering a move to green?
"Right now I have other things that I'm focusing on and working on," Verstappen replied. "Maybe I'll think about it in the future. Not right now."
