Red Bull Racing are all too aware of the conundrum they currently face both on and off the track right now.
Max Verstappen currently sits second in the drivers’ championship, but the four-time world champion isn’t sure how that’s happened.
Verstappen was perfect at the Japanese Grand Prix, managing to hold off both McLaren drivers after one of the best qualifying performances of his career.
It means Verstappen currently sits one point behind Lando Norris, but that deficit may increase after the Bahrain Grand Prix.
| Position | Drivers’ Championship | Points |
| 1 |
Lando Norris |
62 |
| 2 |
Max Verstappen |
61 |
| 3 |
Oscar Piastri |
49 |
| 4 |
George Russell |
45 |
| 5 |
Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
30 |
| 6 |
Charles Leclerc |
20 |
| 7 |
Alexander Albon |
18 |
| 8 |
Lewis Hamilton |
15 |
| 9 |
Esteban Ocon |
10 |
| 10 |
Lance Stroll |
10 |
Similarly to in Japan, the Dutchman struggled throughout practice in Bahrain, but unlike at Suzuka, he wasn’t able to pull it out of the bag during qualifying.
Verstappen will start P7, although he’ll be glad that Norris’ difficulties mean that he’ll be starting in the position directly ahead of him.
Oscar Piastri looked imperious in qualifying, and the fact that both Mercedes and Charles Leclerc are ahead of Verstappen will only fill him and Red Bull with more pessimism.
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Max Verstappen’s Red Bull get-out clause revealed amid Mercedes and Aston Martin interest
A report from the Daily Mail has shared more details about the situation regarding their star driver’s future.
Verstappen’s current contract runs until 2028, however, there are several performance clauses that could shorten his spell with the team.
While one fellow world champion, when describing Verstappen, suggested, ‘He might be the best we’ve ever seen,’ he’s currently not got a car that lives up to his needs.
The report suggests that Verstappen has a get-out clause in his contract that allows him to walk away if he ever falls out of the top three in the drivers’ championship.
That clause can be activated as early as the summer break, and while Verstappen currently sits 16 points ahead of fourth-place George Russell, that could easily change over the next few race weekends.
If he triggers the clause, he has several options available to him.
He could leave immediately if the right offer arrived, or renegotiate his contract into a one-year deal that concludes at the end of 2026.
The timing of that deal would be perfect, as it would allow him to study which team has nailed the new regulations and take his pick if he’s unhappy with Red Bull’s next generation of cars.
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Who could sign Max Verstappen if he decides to leave Red Bull?
The report goes on to say that Verstappen wasn’t happy with the decision to drop Liam Lawson, a call that was primarily made by Helmut Marko.
Marko is one of the main reasons why Verstappen is so loyal to Red Bull, and any cracks that begin to develop between the pair could make an exit even easier to navigate.
Mercedes have been interested in Verstappen for years, but the issue that team principal Toto Wolff has is deciding which of his current drivers to drop if the Dutchman becomes available.
George Russell has been almost perfect in 2025, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli is proving why Mercedes put their faith in him to replace Lewis Hamilton despite being just 18 years old.
Aston Martin are also keen on Verstappen, and all eyes are on how Adrian Newey and Honda can improve the team in 2026 after another disappointing start to this campaign.
Verstappen has some big decisions to make over the coming months, and that should give Red Bull an even bigger incentive to improve the issues with the RB21.
