Red Bull has closed the door on Formula 1 rivals Mercedes trying to lure Max Verstappen away, after securing a fresh commitment from its motorsport advisor Helmut Marko to stay.
Mercedes has been open since the start of the season that, with Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari next season, Verstappen has been one of its main targets to replace him.
Speaking earlier this year, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said: “I'd love to have him, but first we need to sort out our car.
“I think this is a decision that Max needs to take. There is no team up and down the grid who wouldn't do handstands to have him in a car.”
While Verstappen currently has a contract that commits him to Red Bull until the end of 2028, it emerged earlier this year that there were some break clauses that could have allowed the Dutchman to leave earlier if he wanted.
Some of these involved performance-related targets, but it is understood that, with Red Bull leading the constructors’ championship and Verstappen at the head of the drivers’ standings ahead of the summer break, these cannot now be triggered.
However, another element that cropped up at the start of the year was a secret clause that had been added to Verstappen’s contract last winter by the Dutchman’s management team and Marko – without knowledge of Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner.
The clause, which formed part of an addendum, stated that if Marko left the team then Verstappen would be able to cancel his contract and move elsewhere.
This is why, when Marko’s future at the team was at the centre of speculation earlier this year, Verstappen’s own place at the squad was thrown into doubt.
Verstappen himself said repeatedly that if Marko left then he would not be likely to stay – opening the door for Mercedes to grab him.
Speaking at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Verstappen said: “I've always clearly indicated that he has to stay, so I can't continue without him. Helmut is very important for the team and for me to continue, for the future of the team.”
With Mercedes still pushing to do all it can to convince Red Bull’s star driver to jump ship, Autosport has learned that Red Bull has now acted to nail down Marko’s position to remove any uncertainty about his future. This in effect guarantees Verstappen will stay.
Sources have indicated that Marko has now signed a document that guarantees he will see out his current contract with the team that currently runs until the end of 2026.
Furthermore, it is suggested that there is also an agreement in principle from Verstappen that even if Marko is not there due to circumstances beyond the control of the team, such as an illness, then that would not be used as an excuse to move on.
The commitment from Marko until the end of 2026 effectively shuts the door on Verstappen being available to any other team for the next two years – and potentially even longer if the outfit continues to perform as well as it is at the moment.
It also means that Mercedes now has to make a decision for next year whether to go with its junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli or opt for an available experienced hand like Carlos Sainz.
