Marko admits Verstappen could leave: "If not, he would be free"

Red Bull Racing must deliver in 2021. Advisor Helmut Marko has announced that there is a performance clause in Max Verstappen's contract. The clause will be in force in the contract until 2023.

"Yes, there is a performance clause. I don’t want to go into details, but it more or less says that Max can compete for race wins and the world championship on his own merits. If he can do that, his contract is extended. If not, he would be free," Marko said in conversation F1-Insider.com.

In all likelihood, this means that Verstappen's car will have to be within 0.3 seconds of the fastest car in the field. Chances are that, as in recent years, it will be Mercedes. Red Bull must show improvement already in 2021, because on average Verstappen was half a second behind Lewis Hamilton in 2020.

Marko, however, is confident. "That’s our goal and I believe in it, not only because of Max, but because it’s in our DNA that we want to win. We are on track and I think we can fulfil the clause," concludes the Austrian.