F1 News: Max Verstappen and Red Bull tension at 'boiling point' as exit rumours swirl

Red Bull-top 'toenemend gefrustreerd' door getwijfel Verstappen over toekomst — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen and Red Bull tension reaches 'boiling point' as exit rumours swirl

Is Max nearing the end at Red Bull?

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Tuesday 7 July 2026 18:45 Updated: 21:04

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Red Bull management and shareholders are becoming increasingly frustrated by Max Verstappen’s failure to commit his long-term future to the F1 team, according to reports in the Dutch media.

The 28-year-old Verstappen has been strongly linked with a move in recent months, and the much-publicised exit clause in his current contract will become active later this month.

Verstappen, despite consistently saying his first choice would be to remain with Red Bull, has so far fallen short of committing for the long haul with his current deal due to end in 2028.

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After a tumultuous weekend at Silverstone, which saw Verstappen crash for the second weekend in succession, tensions between the four-time world champion and his team appear to be at an all-time high.

Right now the odds of him moving to another team - McLaren appear to be strong favourites with Mercedes apparently now out of the running - appear to be growing by the day. Of course the possibility he could take a sabbatical from the sport or retire completely remains in play.

Whatever happens, the potential is there for Verstappen to decide in the coming weeks that he wants to test the open market with a view to leaving for another team in 2027. That has the Red Bull brass both frustrated and on red alert.

F1 HEADLINES: Verstappen exit clause active as Horner breaks silence

Verstappen vs Red Bull is at 'boiling point'

According to Dutch newspaper De Limburger, the tension between the two parties reached boiling point after that British Grand Prix drama at Silverstone.

The regional daily claims that Red Bull’s management expected greater loyalty from their superstar driver, especially during this challenging transition year to new regulations in the sport and their new Red Bull-Ford power units.

Verstappen's RB22 car has been plagued by reliability issues and a lack of pace this season, pushing the team down to a disappointing fourth in the constructors’ championship. Some feel that Verstappen should show more gratitude given his reported $70million annual salary.

Team principal Laurent Mekies stressed after Silverstone that the team is sparing no effort to deliver a competitive car in a bid to persuade Verstappen to stay. It brought a huge raft of upgrades to the recent Austrian Grand Prix.

Mekies says Red Bull are doing everything to keep Verstappen.

Nevertheless, Verstappen’s pointed criticisms over rejected setup requests via his in-car radio only seemed to deepen the rift. For now, he refuses to fully commit and insists on seeing tangible progress before making any final decisions.

Shareholders 'increasingly frustrated'

With his decision continually postponed, Red Bull shareholders are reportedly feeling “increasingly frustrated.”

Verstappen meanwhile is keeping all his options open - not only a move to another team but even a sabbatical or a complete exit from Formula 1.

What is Verstappen's exit clause?

The exit clause in Verstappen's current Red Bull contract comes into play if he is outside the top two in the Drivers' Championship standings by the time of the summer break.

With only two races now until that break (Belgium on July 19 and Hungary on July 26) it is a mathematical certainty that will happen. He is in seventh place currently, 78 points behind second-placed George Russell with only 50 points to play for.

The driver reportedly has until October to make a final decision on whether to activate that exit clause, so this is a story which may run and run.