That said exit clause is reported to be that Verstappen can leave the team if he is lower than fourth in the drivers’ championship by the F1 summer break, following the next two races in Belgium and Hungary.

Verstappen has been heavily linked with a shock switch to Mercedes amid Red Bull’s current competitive struggles that have seen the four-time world champion fall 69 points behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and look unlikely to retain his crown for a fifth successive year.