Helmut Marko passes judgement on potential Max Verstappen to Aston Martin move

Helmut Marko has claimed the "carrot" was dangled in front of Max Verstappen in an attempt from Aston Martin to lure the Dutchman to the Silverstone squad.

The Red Bull driver has been persistently linked with a move away from the six-time F1 constructors' champions, with Aston Martin having emerged ahead of Mercedes in the Verstappen sweepstakes in recent months.

In addition to Honda, which has powered the 27-year-old to each of his four driver's championships, partnering with the iconic British brand, Adrian Newey was also prised away from Red Bull.

Those developments, coupled with a purported £1 billion offer from Aston Martin, has sent the rumour mill into overdrive.

The speculation has not been helped by Verstappen's own racing team striking a deal to use Aston Martin GT cars and uncertainty over the staying power of Red Bull's existing championship-winning pedigree - at least in the short term.

His contract runs until the end of the 2028 F1 season, but team principal Christian Horner has never indicated it would force Verstappen to honour that deal if he starts reaching for the exit.

Marko, who is an adviser at Red Bull, has now suggested Aston Martin used Newey's arrival to temp the four-time drivers' champion.

"Adrian Newey is a thoroughbred racer and an intelligent person," the Austrian told ServusTV before pivoting to how the 66-year-old moving to Aston Martin could have Verstappen-based implications for Red Bull.

"The first thing he wants is to have fastest driver. He stands behind that. And let's put it this way: the carrot was held out to Verstappen."

However, the 81-year-old does not believe any such move would be considered by Verstappen in the near future, despite his feeling that talks between the parties were triggered by the GT car arrangement.

"He is a fan of GT cars, has his own team and now he also uses an Aston Martin in his team," Marko said. "And I think that led to the rest of the talks. But in the end, Max wants to win, and everyone in Formula 1 knows that.

"Newey is certainly a genius, but it won't happen overnight. Besides, he needs a team around him. So I don't see that happening in the near future."