Red Bull make new Verstappen contract exit clause revelation

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has suggested Max Verstappen's exit clause at Red Bull could be a topic of conversation around the summer break.

Verstappen has consistently been linked with an exit from Red Bull across the last 12 months.

Last year, Verstappen's exit clause in his contract was linked to Marko's departure from the team, but Marko later claimed that element had been removed.

Verstappen won his fourth drivers' title last year but Red Bull has not enjoyed a similarly competitive start to the current season, with McLaren setting the pace benchmark. 

Marko confirmed Verstappen still has an exit clause in his contract, as is the case for all top drivers - but he asserted Red Bull is not worried about its threat in the early stage of the season.

“Upgrades are needed for Max to win his fifth world title,” Marko told Formel 1.de. 

“That is our big goal and the whole team is working hard on it. Of course every top driver has an exit clause if performance is not good. 

“But they are all tuned differently. That is not a topic at the moment.”

Verstappen has been linked with moves to Mercedes and Aston Martin across the last year ahead of a major rules revamp in 2026.

Marko was asked if the exit clause could become a hot topic around the summer break, to which he replied: “Yes, that's the time window. 

“But please, we are second in the drivers' championship with a deficit of eight points. The summer break is still a long way off.”

When questioned if he would opt to leave Red Bull if Verstappen headed for the exit door, Marko answered: “That could be a good reason, yes.”