Red Bull F1 chiefs split in bid to block Max Verstappen exit clause

Verstappen blijft kritisch op nieuwe regels na aanpassingen: "Daar moeten we vanaf" — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Red Bull split in bid to block Max Verstappen F1 exit clause

Red Bull's management are divided over whether to back down over Verstappen's exit clause

By Remy Ramjiawan.

Saturday 20 June 2026 09:57

The future of four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen continues to spark heated debate as reports swirl over his Red Bull contract exit clause.

Even within the Red Bull camp, opinions seem to be split, with reports from Germany revealing the energy drink giants are considering buying out the portion of his contract regarding an early exit.

Bild reports that not even the team’s shareholders are entirely sure how to handle the situation – with the Thai stakeholder favouring a buyout for the Dutchman's exit clause, something Mark Mateschitz and Oliver Mintzlaff are not keen to do.

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Ahead of the Barcelona race weekend, Verstappen made a brief stop in Austria to speak with Red Bull’s management.

Although he remained tight-lipped about the details, sources, including Dutch reporter Erik van Haren, indicated that he did not confirm his long-term future with the team.

Red Bull’s leadership, however, is keen to secure his commitment so they can confidently expand their support staff around their star driver.

GPFans contacted Red Bull for comment.

Verstappen divides Red Bull as contract clause games continue

Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen offered his perspective to the same German outlet, asserting that the 28-year-old is fundamentally loyal to Red Bull.

“We have a contract until 2028. Of course, exit clauses are part of any deal, but we have never used one. Our loyalty remains unshaken. We see Max finishing his career here, provided he continues to have a real chance to win,” he stated.

But internal disagreements appear to be surfacing at Red Bull. According to Bild, Chalerm Yoovidhya is considering measures to neutralise Verstappen’s escape clause, thereby preventing a premature departure.

The entrepreneur seems determined to safeguard against losing the team’s marquee driver.

Until now it had been known that the Dutchman could leave the Austrian team early if he was not in the top two of the drivers’ championship by the summer break (after the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26). He currently sits way down in seventh with four races to go until the mid-season pause.

But Bild have reported Verstappen can actually invoke this clause until October, posing a serious exit threat to the team who currently sit fourth in the constructors' standings.

Conversely, CEO Mintzlaff disagrees with Yoovidhya's strategy, arguing that Verstappen currently lacks any viable alternatives.

While Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has shown interest in the driver, he has also recently voiced contentment with his existing driver lineup.

Neutralising Verstappen's contract clause through a buyout would reportedly set the team back by an amount in the low double millions - a sum Mintzlaff would prefer to reinvest into other areas of the Red Bull project.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen