Red Bull fears over Verstappen exit as contract clause revealed

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has revealed a clause in Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen's contract that is a cause for concern for Red Bull amid their poor performances.

Verstappen is contracted with the team until 2028, but there has long been rumours of clauses in that deal that would allow him to leave if Red Bull were not providing him with a race-winning car.

2025 has started off as 2024 ended, with a clear performance slump not allowing the Dutchman to regularly compete for race victories, but Marko has warned that Red Bull are not at their panic stations just yet.

"Max wants a car that can always win," Marko told Servus TV at the Chinese Grand Prix. "There are always performance clauses, and if we can't provide him with that, it will be difficult.

"It's only the second race of the season, however."

Red Bull's driver turmoil

While Verstappen came within a second of victory at the Australian GP due to chaotic weather conditions and multiple safety cars, he was way off the pace in China, and a fourth-place finish highlighted that Red Bull are behind their rivals in the pecking order.

Verstappen's team-mate Liam Lawson qualified last for both the sprint race and the main race at the Chinese GP, and is yet to score a point in 2025 in the RB21. His poor form has resulted in Red Bull making an early driver change, promoting Yuki Tsunoda.

However, Lawson's struggles are likely to also be impacted by Red Bull's poor form, with four-time champion Verstappen clearly outdriving his car's capabilities to achieve fourth place in Shanghai.

Rumours have suggested that Verstappen will be looking to join Mercedes for the 2026 season, with both of their current drivers not contracted beyond the end of the 2025 season.

McLaren boss Zak Brown recently said that Verstappen's head may have been turned by the fact that Mercedes are expected to be ahead of their competitors once new regulations sweep into the sport in 2026, proclaiming that the deal was all but done for Verstappen to move to the Brackley outfit next year.

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