Over the past year, Max Verstappen has been repeatedly linked to a potential departure from Red Bull. Rumors of the world champion moving to Mercedes or Aston Martin have persisted for some time. Now, following Helmut Marko’s revelation about the Dutch driver’s contract, the possibility of Max leaving the Milton Keynes team seems increasingly likely.
This is not the first time contractual clauses allowing Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull early have been discussed. Last year, his exit clause was reportedly tied to Helmut Marko’s presence in the team, but the latter later claimed that this condition had been removed. However, Helmut Marko has now confirmed the existence of another exit clause.
“Updates are necessary for Max to win his fifth world title,” Helmut Marko stated. “That is our primary goal, and the entire team is working hard to achieve it. Obviously, every top driver has an exit clause in their contract in case [the car’s] performance is not up to standard. But they are all structured differently. At the moment, this is not a topic of discussion within the team.”
A Hot Topic for the Summer?
Although Helmut Marko emphasized that Max Verstappen’s exit clause is not currently a subject of discussion, the 81-year-old admitted that it could become one of the most talked-about topics of the summer.
“It will certainly be discussed in the summer—that’s the timeframe,” said the sporting consultant. “But please, we are second in the drivers’ championship, eight points behind. The summer break is still far away.”
When asked if he would consider leaving Red Bull should Max Verstappen decide to go, Helmut Marko responded firmly: “That could be a good reason, yes.”
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