Verstappen will not be able to announce his departure until at least October.
Max Verstappen and his father have spoken several times this season about losing motivation. Left without a fast car, the Dutch driver understands that it won't be easy to quickly solve the obvious problems, and he takes the opportunity to express his position regarding the new regulations, threatening to leave Formula 1.
Verstappen is contracted with Red Bull until the end of 2028, but there is a clause for early termination that allows him to leave the team depending on its competitiveness.
According to The Race, last year Verstappen could leave the team if he was outside the top three in the standings by the start of the summer break. In 2026, this clause became stricter: if Verstappen is not among the two best drivers by a certain point, he can leave.
Additionally, under the contract, Verstappen can inform Red Bull of his decision no earlier than October, giving him enough time to assess the team's progress and the competitiveness of his rivals.
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Verstappen will not be able to announce his departure until at least October.
Verstappen is contracted with Red Bull until the end of 2028, but there is a clause for early termination...