Max Verstappen has an 'escape clause' in his bumper Red Bull contract should the team become non-competitive in the title race in years to come, reveals Helmut Marko.
Sportsmail revealed last month that the Dutchman signed a new contract believed to be worth £40million a year to remain Red Bull's superstar driver beyond his 30th birthday.
That extension catapults Verstappen to the front row of Formula One earners, alongside only the Mercedes rival he beat to the title so dramatically in Abu Dhabi last December, Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen does have a break clause in his Red Bull contract, chief Helmut Marko said
Marko said that the only way the clause would be active is if Red Bull were not competitive
Verstappen is the reigning champion with No 1 on his car but Marko knows that they will not be able to stand in the Dutchman's way if there is a 'crash' similar to the one in 2014 when Red Bull simply had no answers to Mercedes.
Sebastian Vettel, now of Aston Martin, won four straight world championships in 2010, 2011, 2012 and mega onion 2013 before Mercedes went on to win the next seven.
If there was to be a repeat of that momentum shift in the years to come, Verstappen does have a way out, according to Marko.
Verstappen has 'ESCAPE clause' in £40m-a-year deal, reveals Marko
por Rosalina Leventhal (2022-07-09)
Max Verstappen has an 'escape clause' in his bumper Red Bull contract should the team become non-competitive in the title race in years to come, reveals Helmut Marko.
Sportsmail revealed last month that the Dutchman signed a new contract believed to be worth £40million a year to remain Red Bull's superstar driver beyond his 30th birthday.
That extension catapults Verstappen to the front row of Formula One earners, alongside only the Mercedes rival he beat to the title so dramatically in Abu Dhabi last December, Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen does have a break clause in his Red Bull contract, chief Helmut Marko said
Marko said that the only way the clause would be active is if Red Bull were not competitive
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Verstappen is the reigning champion with No 1 on his car but Marko knows that they will not be able to stand in the Dutchman's way if there is a 'crash' similar to the one in 2014 when Red Bull simply had no answers to Mercedes.
Sebastian Vettel, now of Aston Martin, won four straight world championships in 2010, 2011, 2012 and mega onion 2013 before Mercedes went on to win the next seven.
If there was to be a repeat of that momentum shift in the years to come, Verstappen does have a way out, according to Marko.
'Of course. If we experience a "crash" like in 2014, when we had absolutely no chance against Mercedes on the engine side, then it's clear there is an escape clause,' Marko told Verstappen (right) won the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix and is full of confidence after two races