F1 Today | 'Red Bull wants to buy out Verstappen's contract clause', Mercedes withdraws Right of Review

Verstappen's manager, Vermeulen, has confirmed that it is still not one hundred percent certain that the Dutchman will remain at Red Bull Racing. According to Vermeulen, there is one key factor for the four-time world champion that plays a major role in the decision.

Speaking to Sport Bild, he said: "We have a contract until 2028. Of course there are clauses that would allow us to leave; those have always been there. But we have never used them. On the contrary, we have always been loyal and we will remain loyal. We want to continue on the path with Red Bull and make sure that Max finishes his career here. We do want the possibility to win."

Rumors also suggest that Red Bull's Thai owner, Chalerm Yoovidhya, would also like to buy out Verstappen's release clause for a number in the low double-digit millions.

After Mercedes withdrew its Right of Review on Thursday, the German team shared a post addressing their decision on social media. The team originally was hoping the FIA would reconsider Russell's case. They argued that the evidence presented during Alpine's successful review constituted significant new information that had not been available when Russell's penalties were issued.

The statement reads: "We can confirm that we have withdrawn our Right of Review submission relating to the penalties received and served by George Russell during the Monaco Grand Prix. Following the decision to rescind Pierre Gasly’s time penalty, it was important for us to explore all available options to address the impact of George’s pit lane speeding penalty on his race result.