F1: Verstappen has an escape clause in his new contract – Marko

Max Verstappen and Red Bull announced in March, that the defending World Champion was resign through 2028, but team consultant Dr. Helmut Marko revealed the Dutchman has an escape clause in his contract should Red Bull not have a competitive car for the Dutchman.

“If Red Bull experiences a kind of ‘crash’, just like in 2014, then there is, of course, an escape clause,” Marko said in an interview with formel1.de, referring to the slump the team suffered at the beginning of the turbo-hybrid era, after dominating the sport with Sebastian Vettel winning consecutive Title doubles between 2010 and 2013.

With rumors of a potential Red Bull tie-up with Porsche, having a top driver like Verstappen tied up is crucial.

“Max is an important link in the chess game. It is not surprising that manufacturers take this into account,” Marko added, hinting that there might actually be something in the works with Porsche.

“It was therefore important for Red Bull to be able to say that we have committed the best driver to our team until 2028.

“If you have someone like Max in the ranks, it has a positive effect on the rest of the team and the team partners,” he insisted.

“It’s all still open,” was the Austrian’s response when pushed to comment on the Porsche reports, maintaining: “It makes sense that we are the most attractive partner for manufacturers.”