After a dispute in a sim race, Red Bull F1 driver Max Verstappen received his first penalty of 2025. During the virtual Daytona race, Verstappen, a wildcard competitor in the 2024–25 GTP IMSA Global Esports Championship final round. He was given a drive-through penalty. Verstappen made a determined effort to capture the lead. At the opening corner of the race after starting in third place on the grid.
But his move caused him to collide with the Williams BMW, which was leading the championship. Both vehicles dropped down the order after being sent off the course. Aston Martin reportedly made Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing an offer of a $1 billion contract to join its driver roster. Former Formula One driver Jacques Villeneuve responded to these allegations. Aside from Red Bull where Verstappen could win titles, excluding Aston Martin.
The Daily Mail revealed earlier this week that prospective sponsors of the Silverstone-based team had been contacted to invest in the team with the hope of signing the four-time drivers’ champion, sparking the start of the rumours. Given that its drivers, Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, have commitments through the following year, Aston Martin has denied these allegations. Villeneuve rejected the notion for many reasons.
Max Verstappen’s Monopoly in Jeopardy
Stating that Verstappen would not join a squad that lacked the chance to win another championship. The 1997 world champion also thinks that even though Aston Martin recently acquired Adrian Newey, the title-winning car designer for Red Bull, the squad hasn’t yet won a championship. He said that it’s possible that the supporters gave themselves too much optimism too soon. It’s doubtful that Max Verstappen would want to quit the Austrian team.
Last year, during an interview, the driver stated, “It would be very beautiful if you just could stay with one team and race there forever. I would like to believe [that could be with Red Bull]. That is the target, it takes time to build the people around you. It takes time to design a car. It takes time to do everything. So, 2025 is not the year.”
