Did secret contract move open door for potential Verstappen Red Bull F1 exit?

With a long-term contract that in theory committed him to Red Bull until 2028, and another dominant car underneath him, there seemed no reason for the Dutchman to be tempted elsewhere.

But amid the power battle that has erupted within Red Bull for control of the F1 team amid the fallout from the Christian Horner investigation, the situation has changed a lot.

The fears of Verstappen’s father Jos, that Red Bull risks being “torn apart” if Horner remains in place, triggered suggestions of there being doubts about the triple world champion staying for the long term if there was no change at the top.

Things then moved in a fresh direction at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when the driver himself warned that he would likely walk if Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko was let go by the squad, amid an ongoing investigation into media leaks.

There was little doubt, based on repeated comments he made over the Jeddah weekend, that his future at Red Bull was only assured if Marko remained a part of it.

“I think I have been very clear that he always has to stay,” said Verstappen about Marko. “Everyone has his own role, which is the way it's always been.

“And, of course, after Dietrich's [Mateschitz] death some of those tasks were split up. I've always indicated that Helmut has to stay for the future, as long as he's alive. I've always been very clear about that, like last year after Qatar. And I hope that doesn't change.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Shameem Fahath

But while his feelings were clear, contracts in Formula 1 are pretty robust things – and it is not up to drivers to decide that they suddenly want to jump ship because they don’t like certain things taking place within a team.

Often, the only way contracts can be got out of is through specific exit clauses, which can only be triggered for clear reasons that both parties committed to at the time the deal was signed.

Sometimes the clauses can be activated on performance grounds – so a driver is dropped if he does not hit a specific target, or they can walk if the team’s car does not come up to scratch and deliver certain results.

Break clauses can also be included that offer total freedom. At Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton had an exit clause in his original two-year contract with Mercedes for 2024/2025 that he activated to allow him to sign for Ferrari next year.

Occasionally though, the break clauses can be related to more specific details – and this can include giving drivers a way out if there are changes of senior personnel. Motorsport.com is aware of other driver contracts that have included such specifics.

In Verstappen’s case, it has emerged in recent weeks that the Dutchman does indeed have such a clause in his deal that would allow him to walk if Marko is dropped.

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko, Consultant, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

That would explain why he has been so clear with his comments that if the Austrian veteran is no longer in the picture at Red Bull then his own future would likely be elsewhere.

But what is perhaps most intriguing about this Marko exit clause is that, according to sources, it was not part of the original contract that Verstappen and Red Bull signed back in 2022.

Instead, it is understood that the clause forms part of an addendum to the contract that was added more recently.

And even more intriguingly, it has been revealed by insiders that this addition to the original contract was put in place unilaterally by the Verstappens and Marko without Red Bull’s F1 team, nor Horner, knowing anything about it at the time.

Marko was able to do this because he is one of the two directors of Red Bull Racing, so is able to act on the team’s behalf.

The existence of the clause only appears to have become common knowledge in recent weeks, when Verstappen’s future became a topic of public debate and the presence of the clause was mentioned openly.

Red Bull has declined to comment on the situation surrounding how or when this clause ended up in the contract, but its presence would suggest that it was a way of Marko protecting his position and Verstappen ensuring he had security about senior management.

It also means that Verstappen has a crystal clear way out of Red Bull if needed, which proves his talk of being devoted to Marko is real.

As he said recently about the management structure within the team being more important than driving the fastest car in F1, Verstappen said: “You know what it is?

“At the end of the day, it's about relationships within the team and communication. If things that are very important to you disappear in the team, then it would be an unworkable situation if that were to happen.

“I've always been very open on that, and they all know about it.”

It is no wonder that rival teams like Mercedes and Aston Martin are keeping a watching brief over the latest Red Bull developments because they know there could be a golden chance to land its star driver for next year.