F1 News: Marko slams ‘nonsense’ Verstappen contract claims

(GMM) Dr Helmut Marko (pictured) has slammed as “nonsense” reports in the bias British press about Max Verstappen’s contract exit clause.

The reports claimed that as long as the quadruple world champion doesn’t drop from P3 to P5 in the drivers’ championship by the end of June, he cannot escape the deal for 2026.

The timing of the reports are interesting, given that the well-connected Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf insists that Mercedes’ Toto Wolff is “still flirting with Max Verstappen”.

Red Bull advisor Marko slammed the reports about the end-of-June deadline.

“The report is nonsense because it’s wrong,” he told Auto Bild.

However, he refused to clarify. “There is a clause,” said the 82-year-old Austrian, “but it’s contractual and therefore confidential.”

But even though Verstappen may be contractually locked into his contract through 2028, another scenario is that the 27-year-old and his management team could simply tell Red Bull they want to tear up the deal.

“Then it would get complicated,” Marko admitted. “Didi Mateschitz always said that you shouldn’t stop people leaving.

“We just have to make sure he has no reason to want to.”

Verstappen’s managers are his father Jos, who clashed badly with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner last year, and Raymond Vermeulen.

Vermeulen suggested that this weekend’s grand prix is a critical moment for the performance of the 2025 Red Bull.

“We’ll see the truth in Barcelona,” he said, referring to the fact that the Circuit de Catalunya is regarded as a key indicator of overall car performance.