Did Yuki Tsunoda Just Unknowingly Trigger Verstappen’s Red Bull Exit? A Hidden Clause, Mercedes Spies, and a Twist No One Saw Coming.
Red Bull’s overreliance on Max Verstappen is clearer than ever right now. With Yuki Tsunoda their sole remaining runner in Austria, they finished last.
Tsunoda’s result wasn’t necessarily reflective of his pace. He picked up a 10-second penalty for an incident with Franco Colapinto, but he had been eliminated in Q1 the previous day.
With Verstappen taken out by Kimi Antonelli at the start of the race, Red Bull’s run of 77 races in the points came to an end. They have now fallen 47 points behind third-place Mercedes in the constructors’.
After Liam Lawson failed to score in his two-race stint, Tsunoda has only contributed seven points. With two drivers at that level of production, Christian Horner’s squad would be ninth in the championship – only above Alpine.
Red Bull need to be in the top three to block Max Verstappen’s exit clause
Verstappen’s Red Bull contract runs until the end of 2028, but it includes at least one exit clause. According to Joe Saward, this is connected to the team’s position in the constructors’ championship.
Saward has been ‘asking around’ the paddock ‘for some time’ and learned that the Bulls must be inside the top three by the end of July to nullify Verstappen’s clause.
There are two races remaining before that point – this weekend’s British Grand Prix and the Belgian GP on 27 July. Based on Tsunoda’s current form, it’s highly unlikely that Red Bull make up nearly 50 points on the two teams ahead in that period.
Thus, the Japanese driver may play an accidental role in his teammate’s departure. And Red Bull may suffer an unthinkable blow after failing to halt the cycle of woe in their second seat.
What does Max Verstappen’s Red Bull contract actually say?
It’s worth noting that there is some disagreement as to the exact terms of Verstappen’s contract.
Previous reports claimed Verstappen had to fall outside the top three in the standings to open the exit door. His retirement in Austria saw George Russell, currently P4, pull to within nine points.
But there was talk over the Austria weekend that Verstappen needed to be in the top two to guarantee that he’d stay for 2026. He’s 46 points behind Spielberg winner Lando Norris.
Ultimately, though, Toto Wolff clearly believes he has a chance of signing Verstappen for 2026. If not, the team would have locked in their line-up of Russell and Kimi Antonelli already.
