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Recent reports suggest that Saudi Arabian giants, Aramco, are planning to poach Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Adrian Newey while trying to buy out the Aston Martin F1 team from Lawrence Stroll.
In 2023, several rumors emerged that the Saudi Arabian energy company wanted to acquire the Aston Martin F1 team. This speculation picked up pace when Lawrence Stroll sold a minority stake in the team to US-based Arctos Partners in November 2023, indicating that the Canadian could be looking for an exit.
Aramco further strengthened its relationships with Aston Martin in December 2023 after being announced as the team's official title sponsor.
According to reports from formu1a.uno, the Saudi company could try to hire three-time world champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull's aero wizard Adrian Newey if and when they successfully acquire the Aston Martin F1 team.
One major reason why Aramco could be seeking Verstappen and Newey is Red Bull's current state. Team principal Christian Horner was recently accused of inappropriate behavior by a female employee. Even after an internal investigation and his being cleared of all charges, the situation did not cool down, as some team seniors supported Horner, while others were against him.
Due to the internal turmoil and power struggle at Red Bull, several rumors emerged that a few key members of the team, like Max Verstappen and Adrian Newey, could flee from the team.
Christian Horner admits Red Bull cannot force Max Verstappen to stay
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner recently addressed rumors of Max Verstappen leaving his team. Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, the Brit simply said that a team cannot force a driver, or any team member, to stay just through a contract.
“Look, in the end, they are situations that we find in many other aspects of life. You cannot force a person to be part of a group just for a piece of paper, if someone decides they no longer want to be part of this team, you cannot force them to stay against their will. This applies to all roles, whether you are a pilot, a technician, or anyone else," Horner said.
Max Verstappen had been a part of the Red Bull family even before he joined F1. The Dutchman was allowed to drive in the B team, Toro Rosso, in 2014. Soon enough, he was promoted to Red Bull Racing in 2016, where he instantly won his first race.
