Max Verstappen is really ‘bothered’ by what he’s seeing at Red Bull right now

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Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen leads the Formula 1 drivers’ championship by 78 points heading into the final 10 races of the season. In all likelihood, that advantage will be unassailable.

Verstappen won four of the first five Grands Prix in dominant fashion and threatened to rival the 19-win record he set in 2023. But the complexion of the season soon changed.

Rather than streaking off into the distance, it became a matter of maximising the car’s potential each weekend and slowly increasing his advantage. McLaren, Mercedes and to a lesser extent Ferrari have closed the gap to Red Bull, or even overtaken them on some circuits.

Verstappen has only won three of the last nine races – the kind of run that seemed unthinkable back in the spring. He’s also failed to win any of the past four, only standing on the podium once in that time.

Lando Norris and McLaren haven’t been ruthless enough to capitalise on their apparent regression. Verstappen should still claim a fourth straight title by a comfortable margin.

But as Sky Sports F1 analyst Ted Kravitz says, Red Bull have been outdeveloped by their rivals. A series of supposedly major upgrades have failed to deliver any noticeable uptick in performance.

Max Verstappen concerned by recent Red Bull performances amid Mercedes interest

With Red Bull no longer dominant, the doubts around Verstappen’s future will intensify. According to The Race’s Scott Michell-Malm, the off-track tension at the team hasn’t concerned him.

Team principal Christian Horner fell out with Helmut Marko and considered trying to oust him from the team. This, in turn, would have triggered an exit clause in Verstappen’s contract.

Meanwhile, Horner has also clashed with Jos Verstappen in public. He allegedly prevented the former F1 driver from taking part in the Legends’ Parade in an old Red Bull car at the Austrian GP.

But for the world champion, the real issue is Red Bull’s loss of sporting direction. And this will be a source of encouragement for his leading suitors Mercedes.

“That warring situation politically within Red Bull hasn’t bothered him,” Mitchell-Malm said. “But the on-track stuff really is. Merc’s not going to close that door while they think it’s open.”

What Max Verstappen’s camp are saying about activating 2026 exit clause

Verstappen’s Red Bull contract features an exit clause that becomes active ahead of the 2026 regulation changes. He can leave the team if he wants a new challenge or lacks confidence in their project.

Red Bull are setting up their own powertrains division for F1’s new era as they split with Honda. They’ll be working in partnership with American giants Ford.

Verstappen is apparently worried about RBPT as they prepare to tackle long-established manufacturers like Mercedes and Ferrari. But that may not be enough for him to trigger his clause.

In fact, Verstappen views Red Bull as the best option for 2026 right now, based on a recent report. That could change in the next 12 months, but it highlights how difficult it will be for Mercedes to convince him.