Red Bull Contentpool
F1 News
Marko on possible Verstappen departure: 'There are performance clauses'
This winter, rumours emerged about a mega deal being cooked up linking Max Verstappen to Aston Martin. The Dutchman could reportedly pocket a whopping €1.19 billion. So are they worried about a potential Verstappen departure from Red Bull Racing? Helmut Marko answered that question to Austrian medium Oe24.
Last year, there were many rumours linking Verstappen to a premature exit from Red Bull Racing, mainly to Mercedes, due to the ruckus that shook the team early in the season, which also reflected on track with the Austrian outfit losing momentum in the development race agains its rivals. In the end, however, the four-time world champion decided to remain loyal to Red Bull Racing.
Will Verstappen leave Red Bull?
Yet this winter, rumours about a potential Verstappen exit from Red Bull's ranked were again swirling, with an alleged €1.19 billion offer being put on the Dutchman's table by Canadian mogul, Lawrence Stroll. According to Marko, Verstappen could in fact leave Red Bull as per his contract: "There are clauses regarding performance. But let's assume that we don't really have a disadvantage in terms of the engine [in 2026]. A gap of two tenths is bridgeable with Max."
Marko was then asked if he would go follow Verstappen out the door, should the Dutchman choose to leave. "Those are all speculations. We want to win five world championships in a row, that's what we are fully focused on. We didn't get that with Vettel."
This article was written in collaboration with Cas van de Kleut.
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels too!