Red Bull’s next signing is now crystal clear after 2027 release clause inserted in dream F1 driver’s contract

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Red Bull Racing are notorious for putting their drivers under extreme pressure in Formula 1.

The idea of trying to compete alongside Max Verstappen has broken several drivers in the past with Sergio Perez the latest to fall victim to the unflappable Dutchman.

After an F1 career that spanned nearly 300 Grand Prix starts and saw him finish on the podium 39 times and six races, Perez was released by Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season after finishing 285 points behind Verstappen.

Up stepped Liam Lawson from Red Bull’s sister team – now known as Racing Bulls – to become the latest driver to try and support the four-time world champion.

It’s too early to draw conclusions but the New Zealander’s first race weekend with the team didn’t go to plan.

Ted Kravitz spotted a change to Lawson’s car that ruined his Grand Prix long before he crashed into the barriers towards the end of the race having only qualified P18.

With Verstappen’s future constantly under scrutiny and Lawson still under the microscope, it might be time for Red Bull to look further afield once again to bolster their driver ranks.

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Oscar Piastri’s McLaren contract clause makes him perfect future signing for Red Bull

It’s no secret that Red Bull are big admirers of McLaren driver Oscar Piastri.

Helmut Marko declared Piastri as one driver he would love to sign given his potential and his manager Mark Webber’s connection to Red Bull may make any move slightly easier to negotiate.

Team principal Christian Horner discussed signing Piastri on the latest season of Drive to Survive although the Australian quickly dismissed that speculation.

Piastri signed a McLaren contract extension ahead of the Australian Grand Prix with his precious deal expiring at the end of 2026.

However, a report from journalist Joe Saward on his website has shared more details on the deal Piastri has signed.

He believes that Piastri’s new ‘multi-deal’ deal is likely to run until the end of 2028 – the same year Verstappen’s Red Bull contract runs up.

However, his ‘understanding’ is that the last year of his old contract was renegotiated, which means Piastri would be ‘free again’ to sign for another team at the end of 2027.

McLaren already face questions over their team orders after the first race in Melbourne and if Piastri sees himself demoted into a number two driver role, then he may end up considering his options.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

Could Oscar Piastri race alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull?

Red Bull chased Piastri for months before he decided to put pen to paper on a new agreement with McLaren.

They must sense that the Australian would potentially have been tempted to take on a new challenge and in nearly three years’ time that opportunity may arise once again.

Verstappen has no desire to race in Formula 1 forever, so Red Bull need to identify a new talisman.

Nobody within their current crop of drivers fits that bill, although Red Bull have high hopes for Arvid Lindblad.

Even if he earns an immediate promotion from F2 this winter, that would give Lindblad just three years to reach the required level to replace Verstappen at the end of 2028 if he decided to walk away then.

Bringing in Piastri a year before to compete with the Dutchman for a season before stepping into his shoes looks like the best option for Horner and Marko, but there’s a lot of racing to be done before that happens.