Red Bull takes big steps to keep Max Verstappen from leaving, with a deadline set for the decision.
Red Bull is making big moves to secure Max Verstappen’s future with the team. Right now, Verstappen is seventh in the season standings after finishing fourth at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix last weekend. At 28 years old, he’s already 101 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli and 60 points behind Lewis Hamilton, who is second after seven races.
Starting the season this way isn’t great, especially because Max has a secret clause in his contract. Even though his deal runs until 2028, this clause lets him end the contract early if he’s not in the top two by the summer break. Since he’s currently far behind, it looks likely he could use this option, though Max has said he wants to stay until the end of his contract.
Red Bull’s management knows Max probably won’t be in the top two by the break, and they feel like they’re losing control over his future. According to Sport Bild, the team wants to “buy out” this contract clause and is willing to pay a lot so Max will give up that option. Even if they can’t extend his contract, they want to keep the choice to leave early off the table.
It seems like we’ll hear more about this soon. Max’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, said there could be an official update before the summer break next month. “We want the decision made soon so everyone knows where they stand,” he told Sport Bild. “It might happen before the break.”
Vermeulen also mentioned that Max would like to stay at Red Bull but only if he thinks he can start winning races again. “We have a contract until 2028. Of course, there are release clauses, but we’ve never used one. We’ve always been loyal, and we’ll keep it that way,” he said. “We want to keep working with Red Bull and see Max finish his career there — but only if he can still win.”
There are still four races before the summer break: the Austrian, British, Belgian, and Hungarian Grands Prix. With 108 points still available, it’s looking almost impossible for Verstappen to catch up with Hamilton’s big lead.