Helmut Marko has just revealed a surprising detail about Max Verstappen’s Red Bull get-out clause their F1 rivals will love

Max Verstappen returned to winning ways at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to keep the pressure on McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

The drivers’ championship makes for interesting reading for Max Verstappen, as he’s now closed the gap to Piastri to 22 points.

However, Red Bull have almost certainly written off challenging McLaren for the constructors’ title, as the Woking-based team already have a 148-point lead after just seven race weekends.

Red Bull delivered an update package at Imola that made the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix a much more enjoyable experience for Verstappen.

Although he was off the pace in practice while getting to grips with the RB21, he was marginally slower than Piastri in qualifying and pulled off an audacious move to take the lead at the first corner.

Piastri admitted making an error in his defence against Verstappen and the Dutchman dominated the race from that point onwards.

However, the lingering question of whether Verstappen will see out his Red Bull contract remains, and Helmut Marko’s most recent comments raise further questions about how secure that deal is.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Helmut Marko drops hint on Max Verstappen’s Red Bull get-out clause

Red Bull chief advisor Marko took part in an interview with the Austrian outlet oe24 after the race at Imola.

Verstappen’s victory was the perfect way to cap off Red Bull’s 400th start in Formula 1 and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda did well to recover to 10th after starting from the pit wall following his huge crash in qualifying.

Marko was asked whether winning on Sunday will help Red Bull convince Verstappen to drive for the team next year and he answered: “Now, let’s just make sure we win the World Championship and then we’ll see what happens.”

It was then put to him that this would mean Verstappen’s Red Bull get-out clause no longer applies, and interestingly Marko said: “It’s not geared towards the World Cup.”

All of Red Bull’s rivals will be listening closely to what Marko is saying about Verstappen’s future.

He’s the Dutchman’s closest confidante within the Red Bull set-up and when there were suggestions last year that he could be moved on by the team, Verstappen stepped up to defend him.

However, it would be interesting to know what it would take for the clause to be activated and whether Verstappen would even act on it if it did.

READ MORE: Who is Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko? Everything to know

Helmut Marko criticises the Monaco Grand Prix after last year’s ‘farce’

Last season saw Red Bull arrive in Monaco with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc looking like their closest challenger, with McLaren’s surge only just beginning.

Ferrari are not going to be a threat at Monaco this year unless something drastically changes, while the weather could play a key factor as to whether George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli can threaten for that all-important pole position.

Marko was asked how important Monaco is to Verstappen and explained: “From a driver’s perspective, it usually only comes down to qualifying, that one fast lap.

“The race is usually a farce. Last year, Leclerc and Sainz were sometimes slower than in Formula 3.

“In my time—I drove Formula 3, Formula Vee, and Formula 1 in Monaco—it was different. It was a real challenge, with no barriers, nothing.”

Verstappen could only qualify sixth last year, while Sergio Perez failed to get out of Q1 and crashed on the opening lap.

Mercedes, Aston Martin and even McLaren have been linked with signing Verstappen this season.

If there’s any possibility that his release clause is not connected to where he is in the drivers’ championship, that will give plenty of teams in the paddock hope that he could become available.