Overview
- Sport Bild reports Verstappen’s 2028 Red Bull deal includes performance triggers that allow an early departure under specific conditions.
- A 2026 clause would let him terminate unilaterally if he is not at least second in the drivers’ standings by the end of July, with no compensation owed to Red Bull.
- A stricter 2027 mechanism reportedly allows an exit at season’s end if he is not leading the championship by the summer break.
- Helmut Marko is said to have played a key role in approving these terms, a move that raised eyebrows within Red Bull leadership.
- Red Bull executives have publicly downplayed risk, and Verstappen has told media he intends to fulfill his contract through 2028 as rivals monitor any opening.