P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has admitted the “danger is there” that Max Verstappen could decide to leave the team should its recent decline in F1 continue.
“Max Verstappen’s frustration has been growing ever since Red Bull lost their early-season dominance, putting his expected Drivers’ title at risk. Despite winning seven out of the first 10 races, he has now gone eight races without a victory, as McLaren has taken over as the leading team. Verstappen’s irritation came to a head during the Hungarian Grand Prix in July when he publicly urged his team to improve, leading to a tense exchange with his race engineer. Rumors of a potential departure have been fueled by an internal upheaval at Red Bull and longstanding interest from Mercedes. Red Bull advisor Marko has acknowledged the possibility of Verstappen leaving if the team does not improve its performance and atmosphere. Verstappen, who is under contract until 2028, has hinted at the presence of exit clauses linked to performance that could enable him to leave sooner if the team does not meet his expectations. While reaching his 200th race milestone in August, Verstappen has stated that he does not plan to prolong his F1 career significantly beyond the upcoming regulation changes in 2026, emphasizing that his decision will be influenced by how enjoyable he finds the sport under the new rules.”
