Max Verstappen renewed with Red Bull Racing until the end of 2030, but his new contract would not necessarily be definitive. For Bernie Collins, former Formula 1 engineer and current commentator, ‘there is always a way out’ in contracts of this type.
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The stay of the four-time world champion had been the subject of speculation due to Red Bull’s loss of performance, but the team confirmed the extension of the agreement before the Dutch GP. Collins, however, considers that the document certainly includes mechanisms that could allow an early exit.
“Any contract, there is always a way out,” Collins said on the Sky F1 podcast. According to him, if Verstappen stops wanting to race for the team, it would make no sense to keep him tied to the contract: “If Max decides he no longer wants to race and wants to leave, there is no reason to keep him. You won’t get the best out of him, and you are paying a huge amount not to get the best out of him,” he said.
Collins continued, saying that, in his assessment, the contract must contain a specific clause for this scenario: “With 100% certainty the contract has an exit clause,” he said. Verstappen’s previous agreement also had an exit clause, which would allow the Dutch driver to leave Red Bull at the end of 2026.
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For the former category engineer, however, even the existence of a commitment until 2030 does not eliminate the possibility of a change of plans. Collins pointed out that a possible financial negotiation could enable the exit, if Verstappen wants to leave the team or another team is willing to hire him: “We all know the world revolves around money. If Max wants to leave, or another team wants to hire him, there will be a value that can make this happen in 2030, regardless of what is written in the contract,” he added.
Collins acknowledged that the renewal represents a positive sign of commitment, but stressed that the scenario can change: “If he is not happy next year, if he does not see the category going in the right direction or does not perceive that the power unit improvements are making a difference, he will still have the possibility to leave,” he concluded.
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