New Max Verstappen EXIT clause 'one hundred thousand per cent' true

Former Dutch F1 driver Robert Doornbos has opened up about recent rumours regarding a different exit clause in Max Verstappen's Red Bull contract.

The four-time world champion has been linked with a move to Mercedes for 2026, with Toto Wolff having confirmed that discussions have taken place, and Helmut Marko stating that the Dutchman's future is of 'great concern'.

F1 HEADLINES: Verstappen exit clause 'active' as Red Bull announce NEW driver lineup for British GP

Previous reports have suggested that an exit clause in Verstappen's mammoth contract - which is due to run until 2028 - will see him be allowed to leave the team if he is outside of the top four in the drivers' championship.

However, Doornbos has now suggested that it is more to do with the team's performance and ability to provide him with a championship-challenging car, hinting at a constructors' championship-themed exit clause.

"That's when Red Bull is no longer in the top three in the constructors," Doornbos told Ziggo Sport's Race Cafe. "And which I know, which is one hundred thousand per cent in it.

"Because if a constructor can't deliver anymore, then Max can't deliver either, and Red Bull is fourth in the constructors'."

Will Verstappen leave Red Bull?

With Red Bull dropping to fourth in the constructors' standings and Verstappen down in P3 in the drivers' championship, Mercedes appear to be the more attractive team heading into the era of new regulations in 2026.

Both Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli are set to be out of contract at the end of this current season, and Wolff has recently issued a timeline for when a decision will be made regarding contracts.

As for Red Bull, they have consistently reiterated that Verstappen is indeed under contract until 2028, and the Dutchman has still been able to claim two race victories in 2025.

However, his dreams of claiming a record-equalling fifth consecutive world drivers' title appear to be over, with a DNF in Austria meaning he is now 61 points behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri in the drivers' championship.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton disqualification proves McLaren are real deal at Austrian Grand Prix

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