The clause everyone has been talking about is no longer hypothetical. Max Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull through 2028, but per multiple reports his deal contains an exit trigger tied to his championship position at the summer break — specifically, if he sits outside the top two when the break arrives.
With one round left before F1 pauses for August, Verstappen is seventh on 76 points, more than 100 adrift of leader Kimi Antonelli and well outside the top two the clause references. Barring an extraordinary swing, the condition that would let him walk early is on course to be met.
That does not mean he leaves — a clause opening a door is not a driver walking through it, and Verstappen has repeatedly stressed his intention to see out his commitments. But it reframes the entire silly-season conversation. For the first time, the paddock's most valuable driver has a contractual route out of a team sliding down the order, and rivals know it. The leverage has shifted.