Max Verstappen set to trigger contract clause keeping him at Red Bull for F1 2026

A clause in Max Verstappen’s contract to exit the Red Bull team for 2026 will close as long as he is within the top four of Formula 1’s world drivers’ championship by the end of the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, Motorsport.com understands.

The four-time world champion is currently third in the championship, 57 points clear of fifth-placed Charles Leclerc, and should Verstappen stay over 50 points clear by the close of the Spanish Grand Prix, the exit clause understood to exist in his current contract will no longer be valid.

Verstappen’s contract, which expires in 2028, is said to have been renegotiated when last year’s power struggle at Red Bull had largely come to an end, and the clause that allowed the four-time world champion to leave the team in the event of an exit from advisor Helmut Marko has been nullified.

However, the deadline for his exit clause based on championship position is set at the end of June; thus, if he is in the top four of the overall drivers’ standings after the Austrian Grand Prix, he will no longer have a potential backdoor to exit from.

The Dutchman was linked to Aston Martin over the winter, where rumours of a bumper offer from the Silverstone outfit had circulated in various media outlets. However, these rumours have appeared to die down over recent months.

The waning of Aston Martin rumours has coincided with the rise of persistent rumours that Verstappen is considering Mercedes as his next team, rumours fuelled by George Russell’s expected renewal taking longer than anticipated.

But, should Verstappen end the Barcelona weekend with at least a 50-point advantage over Charles Leclerc or whichever driver sits fifth in the drivers’ championship, his future in Red Bull – at least for 2026 – will become certain with two races to spare before the deadline.

Verstappen currently sits third in the overall standings behind Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, with 136 points. George Russell is fourth with 99 points, ahead of Leclerc on 79 points.

With regards to Russell’s renewal, Mercedes maintains that everything is proceeding according to plan; his new contract has long been expected to be discussed in the period ‘around the Spanish GP’. Russell has enjoyed a strong start to 2025, and thus has driven up his market value for any negotiations to continue with Mercedes.

At the Monaco Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated that he expected a relatively swift resolution to talks with Russell.

“George and I are totally clear of how this is going to go, and 100% alignment,” he stated. “There is no such thing as dragging this on because that’s not what we do.”

Photos from Spanish GP – Thursday