Helmut Marko ’caused Red Bull drama’ as Max Verstappen contract clause emerges | F1 | Sport

Helmut Marko has reportedly caused discontent within the Red Bull camp after negotiating Max Verstappen’s contract to include a clause that would allow him to quit the team if he is outside of the top two in the Drivers’ Championship by the end of July.

The four-time world champion is the highest-paid driver on the F1 grid and has a contract that runs until the end of the 2028 season. According to BILD, this deal contains two clauses that would allow Verstappen to move to an F1 rival.

He can terminate the deal in 2026 if he is not among the top two in the standings, and in 2027, unless he is leading the World Championship, the 28-year-old will be able to end his time with Red Bull. These clauses, included at Marko’s insistence, have caused consternation within the organisation.

Verstappen has been heavily linked with Mercedes, with whom he engaged in conversations last year about a switch for 2026 before deciding to keep faith in Red Bull and reassess the pecking order after the new technical regulations come into effect. The four-time world champion has also been linked with a sensational switch to Aston Martin.

However, despite the challenges facing the team as they debut their in-house power unit along with Ford in 2026, Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff is not concerned about losing his star driver.

“Max knows what he has in us,” he told BILD in October. “It wasn’t just Red Bull that gave him the opportunity in Formula One, but we also won four world championship titles together. That kind of thing creates a bond. He owes us just as much as we owe him. That’s why I’m not worried that he might leave us.”

Verstappen has offered his own reassurances about his future, too. In a recent interview with the Swiss publication Blick, he made it clear that he was not actively seeking a move away from Red Bull heading into the new technical regulations.

“I’m 28 now, and I have a contract with Red Bull until 2028,” he explained. “I want to fulfil that contract. At this point in time, I’m ruling out a change of team. It’s a shame that my friend and mentor Helmut Marko won’t be by my side in 2026. I’ll miss him.”

However, Red Bull will know that, without competitive machinery, their chances of retaining Verstappen’s services for 2027 and beyond are slim. This task will become even more daunting if the pre-season anticipation surrounding Mercedes’ power unit is backed up when cars hit the track in Australia in March for the season opener.