Carlos Sainz claims Max Verstappen has a Red Bull contract clause that no other F1 driver is allowed

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Carlos Sainz believes Max Verstappen is able to race in series outside of Formula 1 as Red Bull agreed to include a clause in his contract that no other F1 driver in 2026 has.

Verstappen has broken away from what has become the norm for F1 drivers this year, with a spate of appearances at the Nurburgring added to his CV during weekends where Formula 1 has not been racing. The 28-year-old even penned his Nurburgring 24 Hours debut this May.

Were it not for a driveshaft failure, Verstappen could have won the Nurburgring 24 Hours on debut with teammates Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella, too. His team led at the iconic Nordschleife before their No3 Mercedes GT3 EVO developed a race-ending issue.

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Carlos Sainz claims Max Verstappen’s contract limits his marketing duties like no other F1 driver

It is unusual for active F1 drivers to race in a different series alongside their normal duties in the pinnacle of motorsport. But Verstappen has been able to fuel his passion for GT3 racing over the past year, and Sainz believes it is in part due to Red Bull adding a clause to his deal.

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Sainz believes Verstappen is the only driver on the 2026 F1 grid who enjoys a clause in their contract that limits their media and marketing commitments, and thus allows them to drive in other series. It is also why Sainz does not feel it would be possible to stage a one-off race or a series where the F1 drivers all race in go-karts to test their talent in more even machinery.

Sainz said, via quotes by Nextgen-Auto: “I think that in a 24-race championship, with all the marketing and interviews we have to do, it’s impossible. No driver could manage it.

“Well, Max would be the only one, because he’s the only one who doesn’t do marketing or interviews, it’s written in his contracts, he can afford it, and Red Bull accept it.

“For the rest of us, we simply don’t have the time or availability to dedicate energy to a race like that.”

Aston Martin also allowed Lance Stroll to make his GT3 debut during the extended break in the 2026 F1 calendar earlier this year due to the cancellations of the rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Stroll featured in the GT World Challenge Europe’s race at Paul Ricard in April.

But other than Stroll and Verstappen, you have to look back at Nico Hulkenberg in 2015 for the last time that an active Formula 1 driver raced in another series without giving up their F1 seat. Hulkenberg also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on debut driving for Porsche in 2015.

Fernando Alonso notoriously gave up his seat with McLaren for the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix to earn his debut in the Indy 500 instead that year. Jenson Button came out of retirement to deputise for Alonso, who McLaren let drive at Indianapolis to try and keep him happy in F1.