'Red Bull table five-year contract offer to Max Verstappen'

Coming out of the summer break, Verstappen's future still appears uncertain amid continuing links with McLaren and Mercedes while Red Bull struggle to fight for victories in 2026. Options realistically appear slim, however, with McLaren happy with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, while Mercedes have been told they don't need Verstappen given Antonelli's incredible 2026 form.

Voicing his discontent with an "undriveable" RB22 at various stages across the 2026 campaign so far, as well as with the controversial F1 regulations introduced this year, the idea of Verstappen stepping away from F1 entirely has been raised, with the Dutchman himself pondering whether the 'Mario Kart' racing was really "worth it" earlier on in the year.

Further complicating matters is an exit clause in Verstappen's Red Bull contract, with the Dutchman not in the top 2 of the Drivers' standings at the halfway point of the season, he has until October at the latest to inform the team if he wants to leave. According to F1-Insider, an €8 million sum was offered to Verstappen's management to buy out the exit clause, which was declined.

Reports then emerged in July from German newspaper Bild of a new contract offer. Currently, Verstappen's contract runs until 2028, but the German outlet claimed Red Bull were now offering a further year, a salary increase, and with no exit clause attached. No official response has emerged since that report.

Now, however, a revised contract offer has been touted by F1-Insider's Ralf Bach, who claims Red Bull are offering Verstappen a five-year deal, meaning he would stay with the Milton Keynes team until 2033. The exit clause seems to remain a sticking point, with Verstappen also reportedly favouring just a one-year extension to further assess his options.

Speaking on the F1-Insider YouTube channel, Bach said: “Red Bull has made him an offer to stay on a long-term basis. I’ve heard it’s for five years with a lot of money. But he doesn’t want to give up that exit clause, if at all.

Interestingly, Bach claims not only McLaren and Mercedes, but also Ferrari could emerge as an option for Verstappen. Charles Leclerc recently signed a multi-year deal with the Scuderia, but Lewis Hamilton's contract runs at least until the end of 2027.

“And, where do I go from there? Because there are new contracts expiring. Something could happen at Mercedes, definitely at McLaren, and at Ferrari too. And I think he wants to wait and see for now," Bach concluded.

As for Verstappen's latest comments regarding his future, the Dutchman told media, including GPblog, ahead of the Hungarian GP: "I am feeling good, and you know, from my side, what I'm saying that there is nothing to say is because there's nothing going on.

"So, for me, I'm just focused on trying to get the most out of the car, that's already complicated enough to deal with. That's what I'm just doing. I mean, this team is like a second family to me. I'm just trying to understand our car a bit better and of course get back to winning ways."