Formula 1: What is Max Verstappen’s ‘Plan B’ if Red Bull-Honda project fails?

By Asher Fair | Apr 12, 2019

SHANGHAI, CHINA - APRIL 12: Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing prepares to drive in the garage during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on April 12, 2019 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /

Over the offseason between the 2018 and 2019 Formula 1 seasons, Max Verstappen stated that he had a “Plan B” if Red Bull Racing’s switch to Honda fails.

After several years of frustration during Formula 1‘s V6 turbo hybrid era stemming from their lack of the ability to keep up with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport and Scuderia Ferrari both in terms of pace and reliability, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing opted to end their partnership with Renault, the engine manufacturer with which they won four consecutive championships from the 2010 season through the 2013 season.

The Milton Keynes-based team ended this partnership, a 12-year partnership, and switched their engine manufacturer from Renault to Honda. With Honda having had issues in Formula 1 in the recent past, there was skepticism regarding whether or not this decision would actually pay off for the team.

Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, who signed a contract extension in October of 2017 to continue driving for the team through the 2020 season, even stated this past offseason that he had a “Plan B” if the team’s switch to Honda engines ended up resulting in a failure of their ultimate goal: to compete for championships.

Here is what the 21-year-old Dutchman had to say about the matter back in December, according to GP Fans.

"“I really like this team and I’m sure we can build the fastest car ever. We just need the engine to reach the right level. Next year we must try to go strong and set the stage for 2020, when the project is fighting for the title. There is always a Plan B…”"

What is Verstappen’s “Plan B”, and does it really pertain to after the 2020 season?

Red Bull Racing manager Helmut Marko recently stated that Verstappen has a performance clause in his contract, meaning that while he did sign with the team through the 2020 season, he could opt out after the 2019 season if they do not provide him with a car that is capable of winning this year’s championship.

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Additionally, Marko claimed that Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has frequently been in touch with Verstappen and his father, former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen, about potentially replacing Valtteri Bottas at the Silver Arrows for the 2020 season.

Bottas signed a one-year contract extension with Mercedes last July to continue driving for the team through the 2019 season. While this contract extension does contain an additional one-year option, it is widely speculated that this one-year option favors Mercedes in terms of who will get to make the decision about whether or not the 29-year-old Finn will return to the team for what would be his fourth season with them next year.

Max and Jos have both denied that Wolff has spoken with the younger Verstappen, although neither one denied that this performance clause exists. Additionally, while they did not go into great detail, they both admitted that Wolff and the elder Verstappen have, in fact, talked.

Could making the switch to the Brackley-based team be Verstappen’s “Plan B”?

With all things considered, this seems like the only “Plan B” that Verstappen could possibly have in his arsenal at this point whether he was referring to leaving the team after his contract officially expires at the end of the 2020 season, which he implied by his statement in December, or leaving the team after the 2019 season, which is reportedly possible given what Marko recently said about the performance clause in his contract.

But regardless of when he decides to resort to “Plan B”, if he even does, aside of Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, only one team, Ferrari, have won any of the last 120 races going back more than six years ago to early in the 2013 season. It is hard to see Verstappen driving for any team other than these three teams in the near future, and Ferrari may very well already be out of the picture, if not very close.

Charles Leclerc signed a contract with Ferrari to replace Kimi Raikkonen starting this season, and his contract does not expire until at least the end of the 2022 season. Additionally, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, like Verstappen, signed a contract extension in the 2017 season to continue driving for his team through the 2020 season.

Even if Vettel does not return to the Prancing Horse in the 2021 season, Verstappen likely would not be his replacement, as Ferrari Driver Academy member and Formula 2 rookie Mick Schumacher appears to be in line for that promotion if it becomes available.

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Is Max Verstappen’s “Plan B” if Red Bull Racing’s partnership with Honda doesn’t go according to plan him leaving the team to drive for Mercedes? If so, would he leave Red Bull Racing to drive for Mercedes after the 2019 Formula 1 season or the 2020 season?

So far, Red Bull Racing’s partnership with Honda has been fairly successful, as Verstappen sits in third place in the driver standings behind only Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas through the season’s first two races with finishes of third and fourth, respectively, in these two races, so it is entirely possible that we may never even have a need to find out.

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