Formula 1: Another exit clause for Red Bull Racing to worry about?

While Max Verstappen signed with Red Bull Racing through the 2023 Formula 1 season, there is another exit clause in his contract that could allow him to leave sooner.

In October of 2017, Max Verstappen signed a three-year contract extension with Red Bull Racing to remain with the team through at least the 2020 Formula 1 season.

But in the 2019 season, it was revealed that the 22-year-old Dutchman could opt to leave the team early after 2019 under certain conditions due to the fact that there was a performance exit clause in his contract.

While the specifics of this exit clause were not initially revealed, his personal manager, Raymond Vermeulen, confirmed that it existed.

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But according to team manager Helmut Marko, it expired after the summer break without Verstappen being able to activate it because he was in the top three in the driver standings, trailing only the two Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. This news came as official confirmation that he would be back with the Milton Keynes-based team in the 2020 season.

There was still speculation that Verstappen could opt to leave the team after the 2020 season, which is slated to be their second season with Honda as their engine manufacturer, if they do not make the necessary improvements for him to challenge Hamilton for the world championship.

But last month, just over one month after the 2019 season ended and more than two months away from the start of the 2020 campaign, Verstappen signed a three-year contract extension with the team to stay put through at least the 2023 season.

Now, however, it has been revealed that his new deal also contains an exit clause that would allow him to leave the team after the 2020 season after all.

This has to do with the fact that the deal between Honda and Red Bull Racing expires following the 2020 campaign, and if they do not renew their deal, Verstappen could walk away.

Here is what Marko had to say about this situation, according to Motorsport-Magazin.

"“Generally speaking, it is a fixed contract and if everything goes in the right direction there will be no problems. We have a contract with Honda until 2021, but obviously being without an engine for the future it would complicate all our plans. Consequently, it is clear that we need a competitive engine to keep hold of Verstappen.“We are however satisfied because this contract gives stability to the whole team and an incredible motivation. Our big goal for Max, who also started with us in Formula 1, is to make him the youngest world champion and is also fully shared by Honda.”"

This exit clause is a bit different than the one that was discussed throughout the 2019 Formula 1 season because it hinges on a separate contract as opposed to an undisclosed set of results, so as long as Honda and Red Bull Racing extend their contract, Max Verstappen should be set to return in 2021 and beyond.