Rumours about Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull, in line with the decreasing performance of the cars (only two win races in the second half of 2024 and only one win so far in more than half of the 2025 season) increased when Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner was fired. At the same time, Mercedes's boss Toto Wolff, who lost Lewis Hamilton, was reportedly trying to lure over the four time World Champion.
Both Red Bull and Max Verstappen denied the rumours, and now we know the Dutch driver would not be able to trigger the famous "performance clause" even if he wanted, as he will surely finish in the top three after next weekend's Hungarian GP.
Although with virtually no options for fighting for the title, Max Verstappen sits third in the driver's standings, 185 points, above George Russell, fourth, with 157 points. And there's only 25 points at stake in Hungary next weekend before the summer break. The clause stipulates that, if Verstappen isn't in the top three, he would be allowed to leave the team for next year. The same clause that Jorge MartÃn, Moto GP champion, tried to use on Aprilia.
If Mercedes wanted to have Verstappen, they would need to buy his contract. But as reported by Motorsport, that is unlikely to happen, as the Dutchman isn't planning to leave Red Bull and wants to fulfil his contract that ends in 2028. At the same time, Mercedes is said to be pleased with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, and intends to renew their contracts. And with new regulations next year, who knows how fast and well each team will adapt...