Further twist in Max Verstappen to Mercedes speculation as Helmut Marko shares contract update

The clause related to Max Verstappen's future has reportedly been nullified from Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko's new contract with the team. The Austrian's contract with the Milton-Keynes outfit was up at the 2024 season but it was rumored that he had signed a new deal with the team that would see him continue with them until the end of the 2026 season.

As per PlanetF1, in Verstappen's contract with Red Bull, there was a clause related to Marko's exit from the team that could trigger the Dutch driver's departure to a rival team.

However, in Marko's new deal with Red Bull, the clause has been nullified with no direct consequences to Max Verstappen's future with them. But when asked by Sky Germany about the removal of the 'Verstappen clause' that could potentially link to a move to Mercedes next year, the 81-year-old told the media at the Hungarian GP:

“That is not true. We don’t want to discuss that publicly. My contract has been adapted. This has no direct consequences for Max Verstappen.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has been pretty open in his courting of the three-time world champion as a replacement for the departing Lewis Hamilton for next year alongside George Russell.

Max Verstappen previews the Belgian GP this weekend

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has stated that the Spa-Francorchamps is his 'favorite' in the world with a large contingent of the Dutch fans supporting him on.

As per PitPass, the 26-year-old said:

"Spa has always been my favorite track, with its fast corners and lots of opportunities for overtaking. The fans are also great and we receive a lot of support there. Hungary was a tricky race and a weekend to forget and move forward from. We have been working as a Team to optimize our performance and get the best out of the car that we possibly can."

Verstappen also spoke about the factor of unpredictable weather at the Belgian GP as the track is known to have a 'micro-climate', adding:

"Of course, the weather makes things a bit more unpredictable but we will see what the race brings. The Team have been working very hard and, being the last race before the summer break, we are looking forward to having a well-deserved rest and want to come back stronger; for this weekend, we will try and deliver the best result possible." he added.

For the first time since the latter stages of the 2021 season, Max Verstappen has failed to win three consecutive races in F1 as he has not won since Spain and finished on the podium just once in three races.

The Dutch driver has also been involved in some high-profile collisions with Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, respectively, in Austria and Hungary.