Ex-F1 Champion Warns of Extra Pressure to Keep Max Verstappen at Red Bull

Former F1 world champion Damon Hill insisted that Red Bull was feeling the pressure of potentially losing Max Verstappen to a rival team next season.

Max Verstappen and Helmut Marko (via Getty)

Max Verstappen has raced for Red Bull Racing since 2016. Since then, the Dutch driver has solidified himself as one of the best in F1’s recent history. Verstappen managed to win the last four titles in a row with Red Bull while providing a dominant performance on-track. However, as cracks get exposed in the Austrian team’s car development, rumors have emerged that he could leave the team. Now, former F1 champion Damon Hill has asserted that this was only adding to the pressure at Red Bull.

Since the second half of 2024, Red Bull has struggled to consistently match McLaren. The Austrian team has faced several issues with its car, that have continued this season. Max Verstappen has tried his best to stay in contention for victories. However, he has only managed to win a single race. Rumors over Verstappen potentially leaving the team have only increased in recent weeks. With some speculating that the Dutchman can make a decision as early as the summer break.

Damon Hill pointed out that Red Bull was going to do everything it can to retain the 27-year-old. The main problem being the exit clause in Verstappen’s contract. Milton Keynes needs to ensure that it does not fall behind the performance targets in the clause, or else its star driver would have complete freedom to switch to a rival team.

I mean, Red Bull are fighting to retain Max Verstappen. I mean, there is a clause in the contract. It’s been explained quite clearly that there’s a performance clause, and if they don’t match the performance clause, and let’s be honest, he’s never delivering less than 100%. If they don’t give him that, then he’s free to go wherever he wants. So, Red Bull are under pressure.
Damon Hill said on BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast

While Red Bull is trying to get back to winning ways against McLaren, the exit clause is only making things more difficult. The Austrian team is feeling extra pressure as it risks losing Max Verstappen if the car does not improve in the coming races.

Ex-F1 Team Boss Pinpoints Max Verstappen Factor Amid Red Bull Struggles

Damon Hill refutes Max Verstappen to Mercedes claims

The F1 silly season has already begun. Teams like Aston Martin and Mercedes were reported to be interested in luring Max Verstappen from Red Bull. Even McLaren’s Zak Brown had a call with Verstappen’s management. While Mercedes remains the most talked about option, Hill doesn’t think such a switch can happen.

George Russell and Max Verstappen (image via Red Bull)

The Briton claimed that it was likely that George Russell would soon get an extension at the Silver Arrows. This would in effect block Verstappen’s switch to Brackley. Albeit, there were rumors that Russell had started discussions with Red Bull in case Max Verstappen tried to join Mercedes for the upcoming season. The 2026 rule change is also a reason for the continuous reports of Verstappen considering a switch.

Where can he go? I don’t know. George is on the verge of signing, they say, with Mercedes again, and then that’s that blocked out. I don’t know.
Damon Hill added

Nevertheless, it is still early days for the 2026 driver market. A single move can completely transform the situation. So far, Max Verstappen has not explicitly shown interest in any rival team. The Dutch driver remains committed to Milton Keynes for now, as he has achieved immense success with the energy-drinks giant. Though, fans never know what might be going on behind-the-scenes. As such, the entire paddock will need to eagerly wait and see what Verstappen decides for next season.

Tags: Damon hill Max Verstappen

#About the Author

Armaan Agarwal

(2618 Articles Published)

Armaan Agarwal is a Motorsport Sub-editor and Content Manager at Firstsportz. He has written over 2500 articles with around 1000 edited pieces under his belt. Armaan has years of experience in the field of journalism, having followed Formula 1 and NASCAR for almost a decade. Nico Rosberg's title victory at the 2016 Abu Dhabi GP against Lewis Hamilton remains engraved in his memory. He started his journey with his own motorsport blog in 2017. At Firstsportz, Armaan provides deep insight into the sport for fans through his special editorial pieces. Armaan has several other skills, including social media content creation, script writing, and debating. He completed his Bachelors of Arts in Mass Communication with a gold medal from St. Xavier’s University Kolkata. Presently, he is pursuing his Post Graduation in Broadcast Journalism at the India Today Media Institute with a keen eye at the ever-evolving dynamics of a newsroom. Apart from motorsport, he is an avid reader and keeps himself up to date with current affairs.

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