Overview
- Verstappen’s Red Bull contract includes a performance-based exit clause tied to his Drivers’ Championship standing at the summer break and is widely believed to be activated after his midseason ranking falls outside the top four.
- Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff confirmed closed-door conversations with Verstappen’s camp as the Silver Arrows weigh a potential buy-out that Sky Sports News estimates could exceed £100 million.
- Christian Horner has called the switch talk “noise,” reaffirming that Verstappen is contracted through 2028 and urging focus on Red Bull’s ongoing development.
- Dr Helmut Marko cautioned that Red Bull must deliver a competitive in-house power unit for the 2026 season to retain their world champion amid technical delays this year.
- George Russell, whose own contract remains unresolved, says it is “exceptionally low” that he will leave Mercedes as teams prepare for sweeping regulation changes next year.