Fernando Alonso doesn’t see Max Verstappen as a ‘threat’ to his seat at Aston Martin amid rumours surrounding the reigning F1 world champion’s future.

Red Bull have st♏ruggled for overall performance in 2025 despite Verstappen’s victory at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s form has led Helmut Marko to admit that he f💧ears Verstappen could leave the 💎team.

Links to Mercedes and Aston Martin have persi🀅sted over the last year following the off-track turmoil at Red Bull.

The Aston Martin rumours have only grown following Adrian Newey’s signing to spearhead their tech🐎nical team.

Honda will exclusively supply them with engines from 2026, a🐭nd the Japanese manufacturer has expꦇressed its desire to work with Verstappen again in the future.

Alonso, who currently holds one 💃of the two Aston Martin seats, is adamant 🦩he will be in the car in 2026.

“I do𝓀n’t think so as I have a contract for next year but I see the rumours,” Alonso said in the FIA press conference on Thurs🦄day in Saudi Arabia.

“It’s very good for the team. As you said before, the world champion is sometimes linked with some oth♈er teams and a po🔴ssible departure from Red Bull, and the team they’re commenting are Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari. This shows the project we are in and the future that this team has.

“As I said always, even last year when I extend the contract I said that I will drive for as long as I feel fast and I feel competitive and the team needs me behind the wheel but my contract is much longer than my racing career so I will stay with this team for many, many y💯ears in a different role.

“If th✱at means that we can win a world championship even when I am not behind the wheel I will still feel ve𓂃ry proud of the project.”

Alonso was then asked 🦩if he would welcome Verstappen to Aston Martin as his teammate, he repl🍒ied: “Yes but it’s unlikely to happen. Very unlikely.”

Verstappen’s F1 options

Vers𝄹tappen’s current Red Bull contract runs out at the end of 2028.

Despite this, he’s thought🧜 to have an exit clause in his contract if Red Bull under delivers.

Aston Martin are likely to beಞ his most realistic option, with Alonso’s current deal running out at the end of next year.

It w🧸ill depend on whether ඣAston Martin and Honda move up the grid, with Newey’s influence.

Merced🧸es have expressed interest in signing ꦐVerstappen.

Toto Wolff was open to signing him as 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Lewis Hamilton’s replacement last year.

However, with 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:George Russell stepping up and performing as their team leader and Kimi Antonelli a star of the future, Wolff would have 🃏to make a brutal decision to fit Verstappen in.

Ferrari have Charles Leclerc and Hamilton tied down for the next few years, making a seismic move ﷺto Maranello unlikely.