Just under a year ago the first rumours emerged that Max Verstappen was actively trying to extract himself from Red Bull, and perhaps Formula 1 entirely.
The team's general pattern of underperformance in the first half of the 2024 season left the way open for Verstappen to trigger a performance clause in his contract – and, more worryingly for Red Bull, he appeared to be losing interest in F1 itself, openly engaging in sim and sportscar races.
