Max Verstappen’s loyalty to Red Bull may waver, with performance clauses in play and top teams watching closely for a move.
Red Bull might face a tough battle to keep Max Verstappen on board if the team can’t quickly return to its dominant, race-winning form.
That’s the honest admission from Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko, following reports that McLaren CEO Zak Brown has reached out to Verstappen’s camp — and even predicted a move to Mercedes in 2026 for the four-time world champion.
“Apparently, Brown called one of our drivers last week,” confirmed Red Bull team boss Christian Horner while speaking in Shanghai.
“If he’s so confident in his own driver lineup, why is he calling ours?”
Marko dismissed Brown’s actions as “typical F1 games,” while Horner brushed them off as “empty talk.”
Still, Brown isn’t the only one eyeing Verstappen. Rumors have also linked the Dutch star to Aston Martin, potentially reuniting him with legendary designer Adrian Newey, who recently left Red Bull Racing.
Marko was clear about what matters most to Verstappen when choosing where to race.
“Max wants a car that can win — consistently. If we can’t give him that, there are performance clauses in his contract. So yes, keeping him would be tough under those circumstances.”
“But let’s not jump the gun — we’re only two races into the season. Things aren’t nearly as bad as Zak would like them to be.”
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Red Bull fears Verstappen exit amid performance doubts
Red Bull fears Verstappen exit amid performance doubts
