MPH: Verstappen and Alonso's final F1 season? Not if this wild scenario plays out

It’s no secret that both Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso are considering their futures beyond the end of this season.

Neither are fully convinced about the prospects of their current teams and although both would like to continue in F1, they’re each apparently relaxed about the prospect of walking away from the category if they do not feel reassured about their competitive prospects.

For Alonso, 44 years old, the disconnect in timelines of career and those of the Aston Martin team are already in conflict. The start-from-scratch Adrian Newey era has coincided with the late start of Honda on this project to leave the team as backmarkers. For a driver who already endured a four-year stint waiting in vain for the McLaren–Honda project to mature, it might take a lot to convince him that it’s not going to take this partnership as long to be competitive. But if you are going to believe anyone can have the necessary transformative effect, it would be Newey.

Otherwise Alonso’s options would seem to consist of returning to the Enstone team for a third stint. Which doesn’t immediately sound like a sure-fire route to wins and title challenges in his remaining career time.

Verstappen, with a break clause window in his contract currently opening due to his position in the championship, needs to be convinced not to exercise it. He has reportedly even turned down Red Bull’s offer to buy out that clause to properly secure him. His options, as F1’s recognised number one, are rather broader than Alonso’s. Mercedes is contractually locked-in to Kimi Antonelli and George Russell and although contracts can be merely the starting points of negotiation in F1, if Toto Wolff feels he has the ‘new Verstappen’ in the person of Antonelli, taking the existing Verstappen as well may be viewed as potentially problematic.

McLaren has contracts with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, both of whom Red Bull have expressed great interest in previously. There may be exit clauses there too, but it would not be straightforward to create a Verstappen-sized space. Ferrari? With Hamilton back in form, Leclerc on a very long-term deal and the environment notoriously combustible at the slightest hint of a spark, Freddy Vasseur may not fancy it. But John Elkann perhaps would…

But this is Verstappen, a guarantee of pummelling, relentless performance and if the idea takes hold in any of those three teams, the necessary arrangements could be made, regardless of how expensive or disruptive.

Doubts over Red Bull’s potential, combined with an exit clause means that there’s a real prospect of Verstappen leaving the teamSo they are his only options? Well, no, not quite. What if he was interested in working with Newey at Aston Martin? The world’s number 1 joining a team when it’s down at just the right moment and adding to his legend in a way that Michael Schumacher did when he transferred to a struggling Ferrari? The budget would be there to do it. And even Alonso would accept that he might be needing to make way for that to happen. He could probably even continue to be part of the project. Couldn’t happen? Maybe not but never say never in F1. Verstappen has many times said he achieved his dream when he won his first F1 title and that everything since has just been because he enjoys it. Well, here would be a huge challenge with a massive upside reward and no real risk if it didn’t work. The achievement would be so much greater than just plugging into an existing top team.

But if we accept that’s an unlikely scenario, let’s add to it with an even wilder one. Suppose Max went to Aston as Alonso’s replacement but Alonso didn’t feel like stopping just yet. There would be one top team – Red Bull – looking for a top driver…