Marko: 'Newey is a big Verstappen fan so it's no surprise they want him at Aston Martin'

The rumor that Aston Martin made a $1 billion offer to Max Verstappen caused a huge stir in the F1 world.

While the Aston Martin front denied these claims, Verstappen stated that the Silverstone-based team had only held talks with him about GT3 races.

Speaking about this, Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko said: "The connection between them was formally established through Max's passion for GT racing."

"As we know, Max often races GT cars. Aston Martin is also seen as one of the most interesting cars in this category."

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team, 2nd position, Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st position, on the podium

Photo: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

"So it was kind of a bait."

"It's no secret that Adrian Newey is a huge Max fan. So it's only natural that they would make an offer to Max."

"Of course we don't know for sure whether such an offer has actually been made. But if it is, I don't think the offer is as high as $1 billion, considering the current value of Aston Martin's shares. But it is certainly a significant offer."