Max Verstappen manager issues new statement about F1 star's future and Red Bull exit clause

Max Verstappen's manager Raymond Vermeulen has issued a new statement about his superstar client's future in F1.

The 28-year-old four-time world champion has been strongly linked with an exit from Red Bull as the team struggles to provide him with a winning car in 2026.

Verstappen, who is currently languishing in seventh in the championship standings, will be able to activate his exit clause later this month, should he wish to.

Vermeulen though has maintained throughout recent weeks that Verstappen's first choice would be to stay with Red Bull, the team which gave him a shot in F1 and helped him win those four world titles.

Despite that apparent wish to ideally stay put, Verstappen has been repeatedly linked with Mercedes, while reports suggest his camp have also held talks with McLaren.

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'Max wants to finish his time with Red Bull'

Speaking to OE24, Vermeulen explained: "There's a lot being written about it. But the truth is, Max wants to finish his time with Red Bull.

"He has a contract until 2028 and would like to fulfil it."

That much-publicised exit clause in Verstappen's contract kicks in if he is outside the top two in the standings at the summer break. That is now a mathematical certainty, but Vermeulen says that does not mean it will be activated.

Will Verstappen activate his Red Bull exit clause?

"The fact that this clause exists doesn't mean we'll activate it," he claimed.

"We could have activated it in recent years as well, and we haven't."

Verstappen heads to Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend after crashing in qualifying in Austria and then in the race at Silverstone. The Dutchman was clearly angry and frustrated after the second of those incidents robbed him of a potential podium finish.

Vermeulen believes despite the struggles Red Bull have suffered this season, things are improving and Verstappen will be in a position to once again challenge for race wins very soon - "probably not now in Spa, but the chances increase in Budapest and Zandvoort..."

This is a story which could run and run

While the current focus is on what Verstappen will do in the coming days and weeks, this is a story which could run for a while yet. The driver has until October to decide if he wants to activate that exit clause, which is bad news for Red Bull.

A late decision from the Dutchman would leave the team scrambling to replace him for 2027 and beyond, and to calm sponsors who have bought into the Verstappen dream.

Should Verstappen bolt from Red Bull, McLaren's Oscar Piastria has been seen as the most likely replacement but his camp claims he is very happy in papaya.

Recent days have seen young Haas star Ollie Bearman also tabbed as a potential Red Bull signing, but he is currently a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy so the Scuderia would need to sign off on any potential deal.

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