TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -Max Verstappen has hinted at a future relationship with Honda after the Japanese engine maker's highly successful partnership with Red Bull finishes at the end of the Formula One season.
Honda engines have fired the 27-year-old Dutchman to four successive world titles with Red Bull but from 2026 they will be powering the cars of the Aston Martin team.
At a Formula One fan day run by Honda in Tokyo on Wednesday ahead of this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen expressed his gratitude.
"It's been a ride that I enjoyed a lot," he told fans after driving the RB16B, the car in which he won his first world title, on the streets of Japan's capital.
"Of course before we started working with Honda, we had our success. But I could have never imagined the heights that we got to, winning four championships together.
"I want to try and just enjoy the weekend, try to go as fast as you can, but it's more about also just remembering all that we have achieved together in the sport and who knows, of course, in the future as well?
"You know what can be done. So it's like a goodbye for now, but that's it. I'm still quite young and you never know what happens in the future."
Verstappen's comments will further fuel speculation that he may not see out his contract at Red Bull, which runs through the 2028 season.
Media reports have suggested that the Dutchman has performance-related exit clauses that would allow him to leave if the Red Bull car was not competitive.
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya told Vision4Sport on Tuesday that he thinks Aston Martin, who have already recruited car designer Adrian Newey from Red Bull, would make Verstappen a hugely tempting offer if he had cause to trigger those clauses.
"I think Max will get an offer he can't refuse from Aston Martin," the Colombian said.
"If I were Max, I would go to Aston. Mercedes would be cool too, but Aston would be the logical choice, having Adrian and Honda. Everything he has won with is there."
The Red Bull cars will run in a special red and white livery for this weekend's race at Suzuka to honour the final year of their partnership with Honda.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Ken Ferris)
