According to recent reports, Max Verstappen would like to stay at Red Bull, but only under one crucial condition.
As we learned with the seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton ahead of the season, not all drivers' contracts are always set in stone.
Max Verstappen, who signed with Red Bull until 2028, is no exception, and according to former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, he, in fact, does have a clause that would permit him to leave the team at any time under special circumstances.
The 26-year-old himself threatened Red Bull he would leave if they were to oust Helmut Marko. However, according to a recent report from Auto Motor und Sport, he would be happy to stay if there were no changes in the team amid the power struggle between key figures.
"Max Verstappen's contract until 2028 suddenly no longer seems set in stone. The world champion is on the market if the balance of power at Red Bull changes."
"In other words, when sports director Helmut Marko leaves or has to leave. Verstappen would like to stay at Red Bull, but only if everything stays as it is."
According to the publication, the problem is that nobody can guarantee that everything will stay at Red Bull as it is at the moment.
If the Flying Dutchman decided to leave the team from Milton Keynes, the most likely option for him would be Mercedes and the team principal, Toto Wolff, who is apparently willing to wait for Verstappen for as long as it takes.
Wolff is not in a hurry to sign any driver, even if it means he misses out on Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso. Actually, he already missed out on the double World Champion who signed a contract extension with Aston Martin.
If his plan to sign Verstappen didn't work out, Wolff still has the young Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who he wanted to promote to F1 sooner or later.
As it stands, though, no team on the grid could offer the triple world champion a car close to what Red Bull has, so the main motivation to leave his team isn't there for Verstappen.
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