Max Verstappen ally offers advice over major F1 decision

Former Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has urged Max Verstappen to remain with the Austrian outfit for the duration of his contract and ignore any exit clauses.

The four-time world champion's future remains unclear for next season, with Verstappen yet to commit his future to the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

Exit clauses in his contract will become active later in the summer, potentially opening the door to Verstappen either retiring from F1 or moving to a rival team for 2027.

Red Bull's major upgrade package for this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix is viewed as a significant factor in Verstappen's decision over whether to stay, with Marko hoping the new parts will convince him to remain.

"First of all, I want to say that, thanks to Red Bull Powertrains, we have a surprisingly strong engine," Marko told Bild. 

"I’ve also read that Red Bull will be bringing a lot of updates to the upcoming races. If they all work well, that’s a positive sign for the rest of the season and for the chance that Max will stay."

It is not the first season in which the 28-year-old's name has been linked with other teams, the latest rumours suggesting a move to McLaren to partner Lando Norris.

Despite the rumours and exit clauses, Marko is confident Verstappen will stick with Red Bull and see out his contract, which expires at the end of 2028.

"I believe and hope that Max will continue to have confidence in Red Bull, won’t make use of any exit clauses, and will see out his contract through 2028," added Marko. That would be best for Red Bull."

What is not helping Red Bull's chances of keeping Verstappen is the continued stream of high-profile departures.

RacingNews365 understands that long-time Red Bull senior figure Paul Monaghan is set to join Cadillac, bringing an end to his more than 20-year spell with the team.

Asked if he is worried by Red Bull's run of departures, Marko responded: "No, not at all. We’ve always attracted very good people from other teams. 

"In addition, we continue to give young talents the opportunity to grow. Sometimes it takes a little time before everything is well-coordinated again, but that’s a normal process."