Verstappen can no longer trigger Red Bull exit clause for 2026 after F1 Belgian GP

Following the Belgian Grand Prix, it’s clear that Max Verstappen will be in the top three of the championship standings during the summer break.

After the sprint weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, the Dutchman is on 185 points, while fourth-placed George Russell has 157 points to his name after a poor Mercedes showing in the Ardennes. With only 25 points left to be won before the break, Verstappen is guaranteed to retain third regardless of what happens in Hungary.

This relates to the much-discussed performance clause in Verstappen’s Red Bull contract, which formally runs until the end of 2028. According to information obtained by Autosport last year, the clause is directly linked to his championship position: if Verstappen is outside the top three at a specified reference point – the summer break – he would be allowed to leave the team.

However, with the outcome of the Spa weekend, that scenario is now off the table, meaning the clause will not be activated for the 2026 season.

In theory, this doesn’t automatically mean a driver must stay, since contracts can be bought out. However, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, this is not under consideration, as Verstappen is not planning to leave Red Bull regardless of the exit clause situation.

It aligns with recent signals from the paddock, where Verstappen himself has repeatedly said that he still feels at home at Red Bull – despite the fact that the results this season and the handling of the RB21 have been unsatisfactory.

The latter has not yet been resolved with the update package introduced in Belgium. Verstappen made clear on Saturday that it’s a step forward in terms of pure performance, but that the car’s balance issues remain the same.

More options on the driver market towards 2027?

For next year – with entirely new regulations in F1 – much depends on Red Bull-Ford’s in-house engine project. However, a switch of teams also carries risks, as Verstappen has no guarantee of immediate success elsewhere and the environment at Red Bull has largely been tailored around him.

In addition to loyalty, staying one more year would give him the opportunity to observe how the pecking order plays out under the new regulations. Since the performance clause will still be in place next season, the door remains open for a future move should Red Bull truly fall short. The driver market is expected to be even more open heading into the 2027 season, with theoretical opportunities at Mercedes, Aston Martin, and potentially even Ferrari.

Looking forward to building a new relationship with Mekies

Verstappen also indicated during the Belgian GP weekend that he is pleased with new team principal Laurent Mekies, who has recently taken over from Christian Horner. “I get along very well with him, so that’s already a bonus,” he told Dutch media. “Hopefully, we can continue to strengthen our relationship in the coming weeks and months.” The Dutchman admitted that his technical conversations with the new team boss go “a bit deeper” than before, but immediately added that it was “completely normal” given Mekies’ engineering background.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, for his part, stated that his “absolute priority” lies with the current drivers, and added that there is a “90 to 95%” chance that his team will continue with the 2025 line-up at least into the upcoming F1 season.