Revealed: How Verstappen can escape Red Bull contract

Max Verstappen is known to be under contract at Red Bull until the end of the 2028 F1 season; however, exit clauses in his deal could allow the Dutchman to leave before then.

The reigning world champion's contract has been a talking point following the opening two rounds of the current campaign, as a result of Red Bull's issues with the RB21. 

Verstappen has bemoaned that the car is too slow, and is also unhappy at the decision to demote Liam Lawson after just two races. 

Red Bull recognise the importance of ensuring that it delivers a competitive package to the 27-year-old, although its motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has insisted that the exit clauses are not currently an issue.

"Of course every top driver has an exit clause if performance is not good," Marko told Formel 1.de. "But they are all tuned differently. It's not an issue at the moment." 

Whilst Marko is not concerned, he did also confirm that Verstappen's exit clauses could become a topic of conversation this summer.

As a result, rumours surrounding Verstappen's future are resurfacing. Mercedes and Aston Martin have been linked the most with the Red Bull driver, although nothing concrete has materialised yet.

Verstappen reiterated during the Chinese Grand Prix that he remains happy at the Milton Keynes-based outfit, who he has raced for since the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

What is an exit clause?

An exit clause in an F1 contract is a way a driver can break an agreed deal before its expiry date, allowing a driver to get out from an agreement if a team fails to meet certain requirements. 

Rumours have circulated as to what the exit clauses are in Verstappen's contract, but the general belief is he would leave should Red Bull become unable to fight for world titles. 

When a team is not in a position to win races or championships, it is not uncommon for a driver to activate an exit clause to move outfits. 

What is intriguing about Marko's comments, is that he openly accepted that Verstappen's exit clauses could become a topic of conversation this summer. 

It was at the start of last season's summer break that Red Bull announced a contract extension for Sergio Perez, whilst many expected the Mexican to be dropped mid-season.

Should Red Bull not be meeting the requirements of its deal with Verstappen by the summer break, then it would likely grant him the chance to look elsewhere for 2026. 

Of course, there is no guarantee that Verstappen will leave, with there still being every chance that he honours his entire deal and stays with Red Bull until the end of 2028.

Another key factor behind Verstappen's future is the new power unit regulations being introduced next year, which will see Red Bull become an OEM for the first time in its history.

There is major uncertainty surrounding how competitive the team will be, having never been responsible for its own power unit.

This could also tempt Verstappen to go elsewhere, should Red Bull struggle next year. Regardless, the final decision will be made by the driver himself. 

If Red Bull does meet its contracted requirements but Verstappen still decides to leave, then that would have to be negotiated.