F1 Insider identified in a recent report an exit clause that Max Verstappen has in his contract that would permit him to leave Red Bull before his contract expires.
Everything has been happening so quickly in recent days that it is hard to keep track. Concerning Max Verstappen, his father first asserted that the team principal of Red Bull, Christian Horner, has to leave the team, or it will be torn apart.
Secondly, he reportedly told his friends that Max would leave Red Bull if he had to. And lastly, the 52-year-old is reported to have been in contact with the team principal of Mercedes.
Nothing is confirmed, but speculations about Verstappen's possible move to Mercedes in 2025 are increasing. When Toto Wolff was asked whether seeing the Dutchman in the seat of the German team in 2025 is possible, he said: "Anything is possible."
Could Verstappen be thinking about leaving Red Bull amid all the controversy surrounding Christian Horner and his alleged actions? If he were, one thing would stand in his way: his contract, which lasts until the end of the 2028 season.
However, according to an F1 insider, a clause in the 26-year-old's contract would permit him to leave the team from Milton Keynes at any time under one condition.
The triple World Champion would supposedly be free from his contract if Helmut Marko leaves the Austrian team and F1 Insider hints that are reasonably possible after events that took place over the recent weeks.
While Christian Horner told the media in Bahrain paddock that Red Bull has never been stronger as a team from within, it seems the opposite is true.
Horner obviously wants to retain his seat as the team principal, but would he want to do it even under the threat of the triple World Champion leaving his team? If what F1 insider suggests is accurate, we might find out soon.