Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull's advisor, considers it "only logical" that Aston Martin would attempt to entice Max Verstappen to join their ranks.
Recent reports in the British media have claimed that the team, owned by Lawrence Stroll and bolstered by Adrian Newey's arrival for 2025 and beyond, has put forward a long-term contract for Verstappen potentially worth $1 billion.
Marko, who has guided Verstappen's career as his mentor and superior, believes there could be some substance to the speculation.
"It's no secret that Newey is a big fan of Max's," the 81-year-old Austrian told motorsport-total.com. "It's only logical that they make him an offer."
Verstappen, 27, has acknowledged limited interaction with Aston Martin, tied solely to acquiring GT3 cars for his new racing project. Images surfaced this week showing the Dutch driver behind the wheel of a Verstappen.com-branded Aston Martin during tests in France.
Marko sees this GT connection as "the carrot" dangled before Verstappen.
"If you have a Newey who certainly expresses his own ideas and wishes on the driver side, it would only be logical if Aston Martin tried to make Max an offer," he said.
"Officially, the contact came about through Max's passion for GT, and Max is the team owner and drives these GT cars himself on a regular basis. Apparently the Aston Martin is one of the most interesting cars in terms of its base. A car like this will be built into Max's GT structure," added Marko.
Still, Marko casts doubt on the reported $1 billion figure, suggesting it's likely inflated.
"I doubt whether it is really that high, especially with Aston Martin's current share price," he said. "It is said to have been a high offer. But we don't know whether the offer really exists."
