F1 News: Former Red Bull chief reveals the one thing that will decide Max Verstappen future

Marko, Lambiase and Verstappen stood in Red Bull F1 garage — Photo: © IMAGO

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Former Red Bull F1 chief claims only one thing will decide Max Verstappen future

Verstappen's contract clause is all anyone can talk about

By Jan Bolscher.

Saturday 27 June 2026 14:42

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Red Bull's former motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has addressed the much-discussed escape clause linked to Max Verstappen's contract, pointing to the one thing that will decide the star driver's future.

Ahead of the F1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, Marko urged calm for the team's home race, even though there’s a chance Verstappen might choose to activate the clause during the upcoming summer break.

The Dutch driver, who currently sits seventh in the championship standings, has had a challenging season.

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Although the 83-year-old Austrian officially retired from daily F1 duties late last year, he remains a key confidant for the four-time world champion and is in frequent contact with him.

In the run-up to the race weekend in Spielberg, Marko emphasised to Krone Zeitung what the priority is for the Dutchman.

"For him, competitiveness always comes first," said Marko, speaking about the star driver’s motivation and offering an insight into his contract decision.

Meanwhile, Red Bull Racing has struggled to keep pace with the leaders this season, largely due to issues with their new Red Bull-Ford power units.

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Verstappen's contract talks fuelled by competitive nature

Recent disappointing results have sparked speculation that the four-time world champion might be considering a move away from the team.

Marko confirmed the current situation is part of ongoing discussions, saying: "All top drivers have performance-based clauses in their contracts.

"Negotiations are likely underway at the moment, and it would be best if an agreement is reached quickly," he explained.

Meanwhile, there is internal disagreement within the parent company regarding the handling of the driver’s contract.

Thai shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya apparently wants to buy out the clause, though Oliver Mintzlaff, the German managing director of Red Bull GmbH, sees this financial move as unnecessary.

Verstappen’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, recently told Sport Bild that a longer stay under team boss Laurent Mekies is preferable. "We’ve always been loyal and intend to stay loyal. We want to continue our journey with Red Bull and have Max finish his career here,” he said, adding, "But we must have a realistic chance of winning."

For the clause to remain inactive, the team will need to significantly improve its performance over the coming weeks.

With Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris emerging as their next rivals in the championship standings, the challenge is set to be steep.

Four more race weekends are on the schedule before the summer break. After this weekend’s round in Austria, the F1 circus heads to the home of the British GP in Silverstone.

Following the jam-packed sprint schedule in the UK, the championship races continue at the Hungaroring and Spa-Francorchamps, with the summer pause beginning at the end of July.

The drivers will then return on August 21 for the first day of proceedings at the Dutch Grand Prix weekend at Zandvoort.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Helmut Marko