Max Verstappen's Red Bull Exit Clause Sparks $136 Million Mercedes Buzz
Could the reigning F1 champion really swap Red Bull's famous blue for Mercedes silver? That question is racing through the paddock after fresh reports reignited talk of Max Verstappen triggering an eye-watering exit clause, potentially setting up a $136 Million move.
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Verstappen's current deal runs through 2028, but multiple insiders confirm it contains a performance-related escape route. The exact threshold remains unclear.
Some say Verstappen only needs to fall outside the top two in the Drivers' Championship before the summer break to activate it. Others, including Sky Sports' Craig Slater, insist he must drop out of the top four, a line reportedly backed by sources close to the situation.
The four-time world champion is currently third in the standings, 61 points behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri. With three rounds left before the summer shutdown in Hungary, including Silverstone this weekend, Verstappen still holds a slim buffer: just nine points over Mercedes' George Russell and 36 over Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Max Verstappen during FP3 at Canadian GP.David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Sky Sports added that any team hoping to prise Verstappen away from Red Bull this early would likely have to pay a fee 'in excess of $136 Million.' For Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, it could be a once-in-a-generation gamble to rebuild his team around the sport's most unstoppable driver.
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Still, Red Bull's top brass are brushing off the speculation. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko insists there's 'currently no reason to worry,' while team principal Christian Horner dismissed the Mercedes chatter as 'a lot of noise.'
'It's all entirely speculative,' Horner told Sky F1. 'We're very clear with the contract we have with Max until 2028, and tend not to pay too much attention.'
Even so, F1's silly season may be entering its most explosive phase yet. If Verstappen's form falters before August, don't be surprised if Wolff and Mercedes move heaven and earth to make this blockbuster deal happen.
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Related: Max Verstappen Drops Five-Word Hint on Rumored Mercedes Move
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
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