Alarm bells are ringing at Red Bull following a disastrous weekend in Bahrain. Max Verstappen endured his toughest outing of the season so far, with the BR21 lacking both balance and grip. Unsurprisingly, fresh rumors of his potential exit from Milton Keynes have begun to circulate.
Verstappen has been unhappy with Red Bull’s performance since mid-2024. He has consistently called for urgency and warned that the team risks fading out of title contention if the car’s underlying issues aren’t resolved.
Perhaps it was his individual brilliance—on full display just a week ago in Japan when he won the Grand Prix—that masked the team’s deeper problems. But things were so dire in Sakhir that Red Bull’s higher-ups are now seriously concerned about losing their star driver.
Following Verstappen’s P6 finish, a reported clash between his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, and Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has only intensified speculation. With a performance-related clause believed to be part of his contract, the four-time champion’s days at Milton Keynes may truly be numbered.
Currently, Verstappen has a contract that has him tied to Red Bull until 2028. But he could legally trigger a ‘cost-free’ exit if he finds himself below P3 in the championship standings at a particular point of the 2026 season, per PlanetF1. This way, he is giving time to Red Bull to sort it’s technical woes out at the same time as keeping his future in mind.
Today wasn’t fully our race… but we still brought home our first double points of the season ✌️
We’ll regroup, and come back swinging in Saudi
Result : PIA, RUS, NOR, LEC, HAM, Max , GAS, OCO, Yuki , BEA#F1 || #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/C8qHOXQfRb
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) April 13, 2025
But what should worry Red Bull is the fact that Verstappen, right now, is also P3 in the table, just six points ahead of fourth-placed George Russell. So if he slips down the order in the coming weeks, serious doubts could already be creeping into his head.
There won’t be any shortage of suitors for the Hasselt-born driver, who is arguably the best on the grid today. Mercedes, for instance, has been pursuing him for years. With Russell’s contract set to expire at the end of 2025, Verstappen could become a highly attractive option.
From Verstappen’s perspective, the prospect of driving a Mercedes-powered car should be enticing—especially with the Brackley-based team expected to produce the strongest engine next year, as the sport enters a new era of regulations.
Another place Verstappen could head to is Aston Martin. The Silverstone-based squad has invested hundreds of millions into developing a new world-class facility, and has brought in key figures into the team like Adrian Newey, who many feel will take the team to new heights.
