Verstappen contract exit clause deadline looming

Verstappen's current contract runs till the end of the 2028 F1 season, but the Dutchman has a performance-based exit clause that would allow him to leave Red Bull Racing at the end of the current season if he is not in the top four in the F1 drivers' standings by the end of June, which coincides with the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

This information has been revealed in a report in Motorsport.com which also claimed that Verstappen has renegotiated his contract with Red Bull Racing in 2024 in the aftermath of Christian Horner's sexting scandal and the civil war that erupted as a result of that.

It was reported at the time that Verstappen's contract allowed him to leave Red Bull should Helmut Marko leave, but the 2024 renegotiations have separated the future of the Austrian from his protégé.

Verstappen is currently third in the F1 drivers' championship, 37 points clear of George Russell in fourth and 57 points clear of Charles Leclerc, who is fifth.

So if Verstappen remains in the top four at the conclusion of the Austrian Grand Prix, he will no longer be able to activate his exit clause and will basically be locked in for 2026.

Verstappen has been linked with a move to Aston Martin following the arrival of Adrian Newey—former Red Bull Racing design boss—at the Silverstone-based team whose owner, Lawrence Stroll, was reportedly willing to pay an astronomical figure to acquire the four-time F1 champion's services.

There have also been talks linking Verstappen with Mercedes, especially since Russell's contract will be up for renewal by the end of the 2025 campaign.

Mercedes are reportedly just starting the talks with Russell, with team boss Toto Wolff insisting on "100% alignment" with the British driver on the way forward. Mercedes had rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the other seat and signed him for a few years.

In 2026, F1 will launch a full overhaul of the regulations with new power unit and chassis rules debuting, and it remains to be seen who will build the best power unit.

Mercedes has a proven track record in that regard, as they dominated the turbo-hybrid rules back in 2014, with rivals playing catchup. Red Bull are building their own power unit in collaboration with Ford, with reports claiming their program is not going very well. Aston Martin has a works agreement with Honda from 2026 onwards—the Japanese company powered Verstappen to his first title in 2021.

GrandPrix247 has learned that Verstappen will do the smart thing and remain with Red Bull Racing for 2026 and see how the sport's landscape develops with the new regulations before deciding his next move, which is just a matter of time.

The reigning F1 champion is currently fighting with McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in order to retain his title.