Red Bull bosses ‘baulked’ at what Max Verstappen just demanded despite refusing to commit for 2027

Follow us on Google Discover

Max Verstappen’s refusal to commit to driving for Red Bull in the 2027 season was not the sole aspect in their recent talks to have frustrated the parent company’s hierarchy.

Verstappen has recently had crunch talks with Red Bull GmbH CEO Oliver Mintzlaff and 49% shareholder Mark Mateschitz to discuss his future at the F1 team. They are said to have met before the Austrian Grand Prix, and the Red Bull chiefs even attended the British Grand Prix.

Mintzlaff and Mateschitz have strived to speak with Verstappen and his entourage in recent weeks, as a release clause in the Dutchman’s contract could see him leave Red Bull. It is also now mathematically certain that the exit clause will become available at the summer break.

You’re in charge of a Red Bull rival, how much would you offer Max Verstappen for 2027?

Ralf Schumacher claims Mercedes' offer is "so bad" financially

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Red Bull have ‘baulked’ at the wage Max Verstappen wants to sign a new contract

Verstappen will have from August until October to use his release clause, as it is now certain that he will go into the 2026 summer break outside the top two in the F1 drivers’ standings. The 28-year-old is just seventh and faces a 78-point deficit to second with two rounds to go.

READ MORE: The best moments of Max Verstappen’s career in Formula 1

Given the threat of Verstappen’s release clause, ESPN reports that Mintzlaff and Mateschitz have asked the four-time F1 champion to publicly commit to racing with Red Bull for at least the 2027 season. Yet Verstappen ‘refused’ to provide any verbal assurances that he will stay.

Verstappen’s stance ‘frustrated and irritated’ Red Bull bosses Mintzlaff and Mateschitz, who were already irritated by the size of the pay rise that the 71-time Grand Prix winner’s camp had requested. It is believed that Red Bull offered Verstappen a new contract through 2032.

ESPN now claims that its sources suggest Mintzlaff and Mateschitz ‘baulked’ at the numbers that Verstappen, his dad Jos Verstappen and his agent Raymond Vermeulen ‘pushed for’ for him to sign a new contract. Verstappen and his team are adamant that he is now worth a lot more than the deal he last agreed to back in 2022, after he won the first of his four F1 titles.

It is unclear what wage Verstappen’s camp specifically asked Red Bull for in their talks about a potential new contract. The Dutchman is already the highest-paid driver on the F1 grid, as escalators in his terms saw Red Bull pay Verstappen £57m plus £8.5m in bonuses in 2025.

Verstappen’s base wage has risen year by year since 2022, including by £12m alone in 2025, but his bonuses dropped from £11m to £8.5m last year due in large to Lando Norris winning the F1 title. So, it would not be naive to believe that Verstappen’s camp is now pushing for a total package exceeding £70m or even £80m, given his significance to Red Bull’s F1 team.