Max Verstappen’s Exit Clause in Focus as Toto Wolff Sweet-Talks Helmut Marko

A big twist in the tale might be awaiting Red Bull for 2025. On Thursday in Austria, Max Verstappen confirmed his Red Bull stay for next year. Immediately the next day, his father, Jos Verstappen, publicly rekindled his sour feud with Team Principal Christian Horner. Furthermore, post-qualifying, Verstappen Sr. contradicted his son by claiming that a Mercedes move still isn’t ruled out. Building on these statements, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has indirectly aimed at toppling the key domino that could trigger the 3-time champion’s RB exit clause.

In March this year, the Christian Horner investigation threw Red Bull into turmoil. A ‘power struggle’ emerged, where Horner was pitted against Helmut Marko, Jos Verstappen, and Max Verstappen. Though the 26-year-old refrained from active participation and stuck to racing, the tension kept rising. Suddenly, to cause amok, the Dutchman’s exit clause made it to the public. His Red Bull contract until 2028 could be cut short if Helmut Marko departed the Milton Keynes outfit.

Now that the Jos Verstappen v/s Christian Horner saga has restarted, Toto Wolff is trying to butter up Marko, in what could be the ultimate heist. Speaking to Austrian publication Kurier about his flirting with Max Verstappen, Wolff said, as quoted by f1maximaal, “That is, of course, also a bit of amusement. But there is a serious thought behind it,” he emphasized. “My job is to contribute to the speed and functioning of the team. And that also includes which driver is in our car.”

The Mercedes team boss then unusually sympathized only with Marko in this situation. “I got along well with Helmut last year. I have enormous respect for him,” he added. “But I see that he is affected by what is currently happening at Red Bull – that the team no longer has the identity it had under Dietrich Mateschitz.”

Though Wolff sympathizes with him, the 81-year-old is likely to stay at Red Bull, considering how he called the Mercedes boss’ pursuit of Verstappen “wishful thinking”. However, the Dutchman’s lack of confidence when confirming his RB stay indicates a layered plot in the background.

Max Verstappen’s “hesitation” to affirm Red Bull loyalty creates doubts

Max Verstappen gave a rather convoluted answer when pressed about his Red Bull future. He explained how he’s already focusing on the 2025 car developments and that “should say enough” about where he’s driving next year. Eventually, he did say “yes” but only after the third time the question was asked.

Sky F1 analyst Naomi Schiff hinted that even the Dutchman might not be resolved on the contract decision. “It didn’t seem he wanted to say yes with a lot of joy or confidence,” she said, as quoted by Crash. “There was some sort of hesitation about having to say yes. Which, in itself, raises the question why he doesn’t say ‘yes, absolutely, I am staying with the team next year’.”

This hesitation also comes as a surprise because Verstappen is usually a man of few words. And those words are straight to the point, answering any questions unabashedly. He also has his fun with media every now and then. Who’s to know what he was going for this time around?