The current F1 world champion, Max Verstappen, drove a £2.7m Aston Martin hypercar one-handed ahead of the season restart.

Max Verstappen behind the wheel of an Aston Martin hypercar

Max Verstappen drove a £2.7 million Aston Martin hypercar one-handed with the 2024 F1 season set to restart

F1’s leading man decided to get behind the wheel of a £2.7m Aston Martin supercar, before showing off his incredible driving skills, controlling the mesmerizing machine with one hand while fiddling with its touch-sensitive screen.

Verstappen and his passenger had to wear noise-cancelling headphones inside the cabin, which has been likened to a rocket ship. Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers says noise inside the cabin can hit the 126-decibel mark, beating that of a jet (120 decibels). The car also happens to be Adrian Newey-designed. Newey is, of course, the Chief Technology Officer of Red Bull Racing, and responsible for the team’s dominant car in 2022 and 2023.

The F1 world champion was driving the £2.7m Aston Martin one-handed

Lawrence Stroll, who also owns the F1 Aston Martin team, says building the Valkyrie was more complex than piecing together the cars you see on race weekends. “Valkyrie is an insane car for anybody to have undertaken,” he told Top Gear. “I’ve got a Formula 1 team, and it’s harder to build this car than an F1 car. A Formula 1 team has 800 people to build five cars a year, this is a harder car to build. There’s been nothing like it before, and I promise you there will be nothing like it again.”

Verstappen has hinted at retiring from F1 in 2028 when his contract at Red Bull expires. He would be nearing 30 and undoubtedly would have added more F1 world titles. But changes are coming in 2026 which could tip the balance on the grid. When asked by Telegraaf whether he’d retire earlier than 2028 if Red Bull’s engine isn’t up to scratch, Verstappen stated “It must be very bad and dramatic”.

The car was designed by the Chief Technology Officer of Red Bull Racing, Adrian Newey

He added: “I also don’t expect a team to fall back that far, with all those good people walking around with us. It can always be the case in this sport that you are not doing well as a team. Then it’s about what the outlook is and what the perspective is.

“But indeed, I don’t see myself touring around in midfield for three years. Then I would rather stay at home or do something else. But again: I don’t see that happening.”