Carlos Sainz 'leaks' unique Max Verstappen Red Bull contract clause

Carlos Sainz has suggested that Max Verstappen has a special clause in his Red Bull F1 contract to limit his marketing and media days. 

Modern-day contracts in F1 are usually kept under close guard by drivers and teams, although it is known that Verstappen's deal with Red Bull expires at the end of the 2028 season. 

It is believed that the deal contains a break clause, meaning that if the Dutchman is not within the top two in the drivers' championship by the summer break, he could leave for 2027. 

Drivers rarely comment on their own contracts, and it is very rare for a rival to make claims about another drivers, but Williams driver Sainz has claimed that Verstappen has special clauses exempting him from media and marketing duties.

"I think that in a 24-race championship, with all the marketing and interviews we do, that’s impossible. No driver could manage it," Sainz told Mundo Deportivo when asked if drivers today could compete in special one-off events during a season, such as the iconic Elf Masters indoor karting competition, which ran from 1993 to 2011, and featured the likes of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton. 

"Well… Max would be the only one, because he’s the only one who doesn’t do marketing or interviews.

"He has it written into his contracts, he can afford to do so, and Red Bull accepts it.

"As for the rest of us, we simply don’t have the time or the free capacity to put our energy into a race like that."