Max Verstappen manager fires Red Bull warning: 'He wasn't born to compete in midfield'

Max Verstappen's manager has sent a thinly-veiled warning to Red Bull as the superstar F1 driver's future hangs in the balance.

The Dutchman's next move has been one of the hottest topics in the sport over the last year, with almost constant reports that he could leave Red Bull if they cannot provide him with a winning car.

Verstappen has been linked with McLaren during the last 24 hours, a change from the Mercedes rumours which have been swirling for the last 12 months, as silly season 2026 really starts to hot up.

With Verstappen struggling in seventh place in the championship standings it is clear that talk of a potential Red Bull exit is not just an empty threat.

The 28-year-old's manager Raymond Vermeulen has been consistent in his public statements, making it clear that while the preferred option would be for Verstappen to stay at Red Bull, the deciding factor will be his chances of once again contending for championships.

On Friday Vermeulen went public again, telling De Telegraaf that Verstappen 'wasn't born to race in the midfield', while continuing to leave all options open.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen 'in secret talks with McLaren' about stunning team switch

Verstappen's manager: We must focus on performance

“Our goal is to finish this adventure together with Red Bull," Vermeulen said.

"The spirit of Red Bull and the spirit of Verstappen, they match. We just need a package that allows us to fight at the front. That has always been the foundation.

"We feel at home at Red Bull, but we want to be competitive. In the end, Max wasn’t born to race in the midfield.

He continued: “[Red Bull's engine development] is obviously very positive. The foundation is right. Here in Austria, the team is bringing a massive update for the car.

"'Let’s hope it has a positive effect, because it’s clear we need to make progress. Max is seventh in the championship. That’s not where he and Red Bull belong, but it is the reality.”

Naturallly, Vermeulen refused to give any sort of definitive answer on Verstappen's immediate future, saying: “We now have the time to focus on the car’s performance. That has nothing to do with leaving or not leaving.

"We just want to see where we stand and how the car develops. And that means we don’t need to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ right now.

"We have agreements and we stick to them. And loyalty has always been our starting point, from both parties.

"Over all these years we’ve had many new contracts, and they have always been carefully considered.”

Verstappen contract, and the exit clause

Verstappen currently has a contract at Red Bull which runs through to 2028 and reportedly pays him $70million a year, but as with all major athlete agreements, it does have an exit clause.

The clause reportedly means Verstappen can activate it this summer if he is outside the top two in the championship standings. Right now that appears highly likely to be the case after the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26.

Reports also suggest that Verstappen would have three months through to October in which to decide whether he wants to activate the exit clause. A drawn-out saga would be the nightmare scenario for Red Bull.

Mekies says 'Max wants to stay but he wants a fast car'

Team principal Laurent Mekies clearly understands the situation perfectly, and he gave his take during a press conference on Friday.

”Max has made clear to us that he wants to continue with the team. It’s equally clear that he needs a fast car for him to be happy with the team," he explained.

“You may recall also that he has been vocal about the progress that we needed to have on the regulations.

"We are in the fortunate situation for the sport where there have been very open sessions between FIA, F1 and the teams, and we have managed to tweak these regulations for 2027 and 2028.

"And I think it’s great not only for Max, it’s great for the fast drivers and it’s great for the sport.”

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