Max Verstappen Red Bull future twist as Helmut Marko clarifies key contract clause

Helmut Marko is adamant that his revised Red Bull contract “has no direct consequences for Max Verstappen” amid suggestions that it has closed the door to a potential move to Mercedes for F1 2025.

PlanetF1.com revealed earlier this year that Verstappen ‘s contract contained a clause – thought to have been inserted into his deal without the knowledge of team principal Christian Horner and other senior members of Red Bull ‘s hierarchy – allowing the Dutchman to leave the team if long-serving adviser Marko were to depart.

Helmut Marko insists ‘adapted’ Red Bull contract has no effect on Max Verstappen

The situation came to light at March’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, where Verstappen pledged his loyalty to Marko amid the suggestion that the 81-year-old was on the verge of being suspended.

PlanetF1.com reported during last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix that Marko has now committed to Red Bull Racing until the end of the F1 2026 season, with the new agreement understood to have nullified the clause linking his future to that of Verstappen.

It comes after Verstappen, whose current contract runs until the end of F1 2028, made his position clear to Red Bull that he intends to remain with the team for next season in a blow to Mercedes’ pursuit of the reigning three-time World Champion as the Silver Arrows search for a replacement for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.

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However, when asked by Sky Germany to confirm that the so-called ‘Verstappen clause’ has now been removed, Marko claimed it “is not true.”

And he insisted that his new deal has “no direct consequences” for Verstappen, fuelling speculation that a switch to Mercedes – potentially as soon as next year – could be back on.

Marko said: “That is not true. We don’t want to discuss that publicly. My contract has been adapted. This has no direct consequences for Max Verstappen.”

Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss, has made no secret of his desire to sign Verstappen as Hamilton’s successor, admitting earlier this season that he “would love to have him.”

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com last month, however, Wolff conceded that Verstappen should not consider a move to Mercedes until the team can prove themselves a compelling alternative to Red Bull.

Mercedes claimed consecutive victories for the first time since the current ground-effect regulations were introduced at the recent Austrian and British grands prix, where George Russell and Hamilton triumphed respectively.

The Brackley-based team’s revival comes amid a stumble for Red Bull, who have won just three of the last eight races since F1 design guru Adrian Newey announced ahead of May’s Miami Grand Prix that he will leave the team in early 2025.

Wolff said: “We need two to crash at the front to win at the moment.

“I think we still need to look at ourselves and say: ‘What can we do in order to have a car that is able to race with these two at the front and do it more regularly?’

“And I think this is a moment where we can say that we can be or harbor port or destination for the best drivers, including Max.

“But we’re not there yet, so if I was him I wouldn’t be considering such a move. Yet.”

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