Red Bull star Max Verstappen has not won any of the last seven Grands Prix.
Red Bull’s recent plight is worrying enough for team principal Christian Horner, but the presence of a performance-related break clause in Max Verstappen’s contract is cause for even greater concern.
Having started the season so dominantly, Red Bull have now slipped behind McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship and they are in danger of being caught by Ferrari. Verstappen, meanwhile, is clinging onto a 59-point lead at the top of the individual standings, with Lando Norris rapidly closing in.
For Red Bull, who have lost design guru Adrian Newey to Aston Martin over the course of this season, keeping hold of Verstappen is invaluable.
The reigning triple world champion is contractually tied to the team until 2028, but a number of break clauses would, if triggered, allow him to leave before then. One such clause, which was in focus during a well-publicised rift among senior figures in the team, would permit Verstappen to leave in case his long-serving mentor, Helmut Marko, departs.
Marko looks set to stay put for now, but Verstappen could also have another means of escape. According to Sky Italia, the Dutchman can leave if he is not in the top-three positions in the Drivers’ Championship ‘after the first Grands Prix in 2025’.
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