MAX VERSTAPPEN LEAVING RED BULL AFTER 2025?

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Rumour mill has been churning up and down the paddock, as whispers of Max Verstappen leaving the Austrian Racing team have been in full drive. Where has this all originated from? To simply put it- if Max ends up outside of the top 3 in the World Driver’s Championship, his exit clause can be activated. His performance clause states that if he is to drop down to fourth in the drivers championship, then he can leave Red Bull for FREE! He is currently 3rd with 69 points however, George Russell is applying some pressure from behind with 63 points. Mercedes have been strong from the offset and it seems like George may jump Max Verstappen in the standings. 

Where could Max Verstappen go?

Realistically the Dutchman has 3 options. Let’s debrief them! 

Max and Mercedes- Toto’s new dream?

As previously stated, Mercedes have started their 2025 season with a spring in their step. We all are aware that Toto’s favourite child is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, with the 18-year-old being the face of the team’s future. That leaves George Russell under threat of having his seat passed on to a rather desirable, Max Verstappen. Not only are Mercedes the quickest team who would potentially be willing to take Max on board for the 2026 season, but also they are the team that would be most appealing due to their consistent results so far. 

Dutch finding comfort in his old friend Adrian Newey at Aston Martin? 

2024 saw the most valuable man on the scene pack up his things and head to the new territory of the Silverstone based team. We are talking about, no other than Adrian Newey- the brains of our time! Rumor also has it that CEO of Aston Martin Lawrence Stroll, explained that if Max Verstappen were to be willing to come to Aston Martin, they would potentially put Lance Stroll in the World Endurance Championship (WEC)! There was also some speculation that Aston Martin were preparing to buy the four-time world champion for $1billion, but as of now, Aston Martin quickly put an end to this stating that there were no discussions.

Potential retirement for the Dutchman, or perhaps a little break from the F1 world?

Now since this new season has commenced, Max has been struggling a lot with the car, and we all know Verstappen has that winning mentality, 2nd place for Max? Not an option: only first place matters. We also know that Max Verstappen and his girlfriend (Kelly Piquet) are expecting a child this May. However the most prominent reason Max would want to retire is the FIA, and the media too. It's been no secret since Verstappen has come into this sport that he has shown that he dislikes the Media, and especially now the FIA. There was some controversy back in Singapore last year in which Max got a public service penalty for swearing during press conferences, then decided to protest by refusing to speak inside the conference room and would only speak to the media outside. But Max has not been the only person to suffer with the FIA’s cutdown on swearing. Ferrari’s golden boy, Charles Leclerc got fined $10,000 for swearing, along with Verstappen, again (who  got fined $10,000 for the offence). This could be the perfect opportunity to take a break from F1, whil he helps parent his child and makes the most of precious time with the baby. It also means Max would get time to relax; after all travelling the world for 10 months of the year is an exhausting feat. 

There's no doubt that an update about Max’s situation will come thick and fast after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. For now we wait, but be sure to keep an eye out for updates across the sporting world from us soon! 

 Edited by: Evelyn Gibson and Alice Seager