Max Verstappen 'upset' at Red Bull over major F1 exit decision, claims insider

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

F1 News & Gossip

Max Verstappen 'upset' at Red Bull over major F1 exit decision, claims insider

Could this be what's really disturbing the peace for Max at Red Bull?

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Friday 10 July 2026 08:14

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It's no secret that four-time champion Max Verstappen isn't content with the current state of affairs at Red Bull F1 team.

After his four-year stint as the front man for the energy drink giant's second round of glory years, Verstappen has had to settle for a car that often struggles to compete with the midfield under the new regulations.

With just two races to go until the summer break Verstappen sits all the way down in P7 in the drivers' standings and is nowhere near championship contention.

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But what's more serious for the Milton Keynes-based squad is that the Dutchman will be able to activate his performance-based contract clause from anytime between late July and October, even though he is currently contracted until 2028.

Aside from the rumours that a driver swap with Oscar Piastri could be on the cards for Verstappen and McLaren, one paddock insider has a sneaky feeling there is more going on beneath the surface that could explain the star driver's unhappiness at Red Bull.

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As rumours continue to swirl over what Verstappen will opt to do for 2027, Sky Sports pundit Anthony Davidson raised his opinion on the F1 Show podcast that he feels there is something rumbling away beneath the surface that could explain why the Dutchman has shown so much discontent this season.

Yes, there's the regulations which Verstappen has been consistently critical of, oh and there's also the fact his RB22 has now caused him to crash out of a session two race weekends in a row.

But Davidson has a theory that Helmut Marko's exit might have upset Verstappen more than he is letting on.

"I still wonder if Max is still niggled by the fact that Red Bull as a collective got rid of the person that gave Max his chance, Helmut Marko," he admitted.

Marko retired from a full-time role in motorsport at the end of 2025, initially telling media that Verstappen's inability to clinch the drivers' championship last season had pushed him to leave his position as Red Bull's motorsport advisor.

After 20 years at Red Bull where the Austrian oversaw six constructors' titles and eight drivers' championships (four of which were won by his protege) Marko called time on his day-to-day responsibilities with the team.

Since leaving F1, Marko has taken on an ambassadorial role with the Red Bull Ring in Austria and Verstappen's current F1 boss Laurent Mekies even told media earlier this year that Marko remains in frequent contact with the 28-year-old and many other stars of the Red Bull driver pool.

So whilst things seem to amicable between the two parties, Davidson noted that he couldn't help but feel as if something had upset Verstappen following Marko's exit.

"I sense there's something, there's upset there still in the team. Team Verstappen and team Red Bull, there's disharmony and I can't work out why," he concluded.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Helmut Marko Anthony Davidson