Max Verstappen’s camp are frustrated by one detail in his Red Bull contract they can’t change

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Max Verstappen’s management wants to decide on his future now, but his Red Bull contract is standing in the way.

The situation at Red Bull is incredibly tense as Verstappen expresses his frustration over the RB22, the 2026 regulations and the current mood within the team.

‘Trust’ is breaking between Red Bull and Verstappen, as the team seem to be no longer listening to their star driver and want to move in another direction with setup and battery deployment. Following his DNF at Silverstone, rumours have ramped up about a potential move to McLaren.

If you were Max Verstappen, would you stay at Red Bull or move on?

Verstappen has been linked with McLaren, but could also retire or take a sabbatical

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Max Verstappen’s camp no longer want to wait until October to decide on his future amid McLaren links

Red Bull are angry with Verstappen as he is yet to commit to the team for 2027. He has a contract until 2028, but he will be free to leave in 2026 through an exit clause.

Recently, Verstappen has been heavily linked with McLaren, with recent reports suggesting that a deal is in the final stages. The four-time champion’s camp, fronted by manager Raymond Vermeulen and father Jos Verstappen, want to move fast.

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Verstappen has until October at the latest to activate his exit clause. It will be effective from the summer break as he will not be in the top two of the championship by then, and according to journalist Bianca Garloff, his camp is looking for a decision now.

She said via the F1-Insider YouTube channel that they no longer want to wait until October as it will cause ‘unrest amongst the drivers’. Oscar Piastri would be set to leave McLaren and is likely to join Red Bull in a swap deal.

“We hadn’t mentioned that yet. By the way, Verstappen could use this clause with Red Bull until October, right?” said Garloff.

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“The question is whether he’ll keep McLaren waiting that long too, won’t he? What I’m hearing from behind the scenes is that the Verstappen clan – that’s what I’ll call them for now – definitely wants a decision.

“And I don’t think they want to wait any longer themselves, because that just creates unrest amongst the drivers, in the whole set-up. Well, I think they want to reach a decision on this now.”

Verstappen’s manager met with Laurent Mekies after the British GP, which allegedly got tense. The lack of trust between the two parties and the persistent issues with the rear wing all point towards the Dutchman looking to force his way out of Red Bull.