Why Verstappen and Red Bull need each other - exit clause remains untriggered

If Verstappen was not in the top three of the standings at a predetermined point in the summer of 2025, the four-time world champion had the option to dissolve his contract with Red Bull after this season. It would indeed take a strange turn of events for Verstappen to have fallen in the rankings in a few weeks, making the clause impossible to trigger. But even if that possibility existed, nothing will happen, and Verstappen stays with Red Bull, GPblog has learned.

This decision by Verstappen and his entourage is primarily driven by the lack of alternatives. Where else could Verstappen go if he doesn't want to drive for Red Bull? McLaren and Ferrari are full, Mercedes is going for a contract extension with George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Moreover, the Verstappen camp is now convinced that Mercedes does not currently have their affairs in better order than Red Bull.

With the decision to at least drive for Red Bull in 2026, peace can return. No longer does the media need to ask weekly if Verstappen is leaving, no longer do team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko have to worry about questions whether they fear their star driver will depart. In sports, clarity is always so important for delivering performance, and now it is there.

For the future of Red Bull, Verstappen staying is just as crucial. What would have been left of the ambitious team if the best driver on the grid had left? If there's one driver who can extract more than the maximum from his car, it's Verstappen. The question is whether a possible successor to Verstappen could have done the same. The answer is easy to guess.

For Ford - Red Bull's new partner - Verstappen's decision probably comes at a very opportune moment. The American manufacturer decided to return to F1, partly with the prospect of working together with Verstappen. From a commercial standpoint, it would have been a blow for Ford if, in 2026, someone other than Verstappen, but a lesser driver, had been in the car powered by the combination of Red Bull Powertrains and Ford.