Max Verstappen will have a three-month window to activate an exit clause in his Red Bull contract later this year, following a disappointing run of results this season. The 28-year-old has been remarkably outspoken about his frustrations in 2026, as the FIA have imposed a raft of new rules and regulations on teams.
Following Sunday's eighth-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen even acknowledged that he is weighing up his future in the sport. While several drivers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the new regulations, which have heightened the significance of battery power, very few have been as publicly critical as Verstappen.
Speaking with BBC Sport on Sunday, Verstappen said: "I'm thinking about everything inside this paddock. Privately I'm very happy. You also wait for 24 races. This time it's 22. But normally 24. And then you just think about is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you're not enjoying your sport?"
He added: "I can easily accept to be in P7 or P8 where I am. Because I also know that you can't be dominating or be first or second or whatever, fighting for a podium every time. I'm very realistic in that and I've been there before. I've not only been winning in F1. But at the same time when you are in P7 or P8 and you are not enjoying the whole formula behind it, it doesn't feel natural to a racing driver. Of course I try to adapt to it, but it's not nice the way you have to race. It's really anti-driving. Then at one point, yeah, it's just not what I want to do. And of course you can look at it and make a lot of money. Great. But at the end of the day it's not about money any more because this has always been my passion."
While Verstappen remains contracted to Red Bull until 2028, team bosses will be acutely conscious of a clause in his agreement which could permit an early departure. Should he find himself third or lower in the drivers' championship at the summer break, he'll be entitled to terminate his contract. That scenario is far from implausible at present, given Verstappen currently lies in ninth place in the standings following three races without securing a victory or podium finish.
Nevertheless, The Race reports that Verstappen must notify Red Bull of his intention to depart by October at the very latest. Given that F1 will experience a hiatus next month due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, April will offer Verstappen ample opportunity to contemplate his future.
