The 2025 silly season is just around the corner, and it just might be the craziest one in a while. Allegedly, if Max Verstappen is 4th or lower in the drivers championship standings at the end of the Hungarian Grand Prix, he can get out of his contract with Red Bull.
Verstappen’s displeasure with the current state of affairs at Red Bull is not news, and the sudden sacking of the eight-time World Champion team director, Christian Horner, certainly didn’t allay his worries or concerns. Yet, as if Red Bull fans were running short on drama, a new leak has just revealed that the four-time world champion might call it quits with the Austrian team.
As we approach the Belgian Grand Prix with the drivers championship still being anyone’s game, eyes lay heavily on Verstappen and just where his future might be heading.
What’s the story?
Word on the paddock is that the Dutchman has an escape clause on his contract, which would allow him to exit the team, and was recently reported by ESPN during an interview on July 24.
Verstappen currently sits third in the championship with 165 points, with George Russell trailing with just 18 points between them.
The existence of an exit clause implies a great benefit for his potential new team, as they wouldn’t have to pay a dime to Red Bull for the Dutchman’s transfer. Verstappen would essentially be allowed to void his contract and become a free agent.
Now, of course, this business conundrum poses a very interesting question.
What if?
The question in play is whether Verstappen might be willing to sway the odds in his favor of joining a new team. That might involve a couple of races with less-than-stellar results. It just takes a slight oversteer, a little extra throttle while turning, going a bit too fast over a curb, and that’s it; you are stuck in the gravel or against a wall, the race is over, and none is the wiser. Would Verstappen go for it?
We are just one race away from the Hungarian GP, and with such a small gap against one of the most consistent drivers on the grid, it wouldn’t take much for George Russell to step ahead and snatch that 3rd position away from Max Verstappen.
Two races are plenty for a man like Russell to close the gap and ‘beat’ Verstappen in the drivers ranking, relegating the Dutchman to 4th in such a crucial time in the race calendar. Moreover, while we are used to seeing one version of Verstappen in interviews, depending on the situation, several races this season have again shown us that the reigning world champion can get carried away by emotion behind the wheel.
Is Max Verstappen ready to take a dive mid-race to make an exit from Red Bull? Are the golden days of the Horner-Verstappen-Newey train finally over?
This story appears to be a wild opening act for the upcoming Silly Season.
