Red Bull have reportedly offered Max Verstappen a new contract that would add an extra year and remove his current release clause. The four-time world champion has endured a difficult season, having failed to win a single race in 2026 thus far. He secured his joint-best finish of the year at last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, coming home in second place.
Contract restructure on the table
According to German outlet Bild, Red Bull have offered Verstappen a new deal until the end of 2029 without the previously known release clause. The report states that team bosses, including Laurent Mekies and sporting director Oliver Mintzlaff, are planning a restructuring of Verstappen's contract.
Exit clause triggered by standings
Under the terms of his current exit clause, the Dutchman can leave at the end of the season. It was previously claimed that the clause would be validated if he was outside the top three in the Drivers' Championship after the Hungarian Grand Prix. Given that Verstappen is currently seventh in the standings, he is reportedly free to trigger that clause and force an exit ahead of the 2027 campaign.
Decision time
He has until October to make a decision, but it's claimed that Red Bull bosses want him to sign fresh terms as soon as possible to remove that clause and commit his long-term future. The report adds that Verstappen is yet to provide an official response despite receiving the new contract offer several weeks ago. However, it's said that he is leaning towards staying at Red Bull and that all parties are constantly communicating behind the scenes.
Verstappen on his future
Verstappen recently described Red Bull as being like a "second family" to him, saying: "I am feeling good from my side. I'm saying that there is nothing to say because there is nothing going on. So, for me, I'm just focused on trying to get the most out of the car. And, like I was explaining before, that's already complicated enough to deal with. Yeah, that's what I'm just doing. I mean, this team is like a second family to me, you know, and yeah, we're just trying to understand our car a bit better and, of course, get back to winning ways. But, I mean, we've been close on one weekend. I hope, of course, it's a little bit more often than just one weekend. But, like I said before, it's definitely on an upward trend. So that's good."
