Formula 1 historians have been busy looking in the archives for stories of drivers who at some point in their career could count on a contract valid for the next seven seasons.
At the moment the case of Max Verstappen turns out to be unique, and this confirms the amazement that many insiders also expressed when Red Bull communicated the duration of the extension of the agreement with the world champion.
Every contract between a team and a driver (especially when it comes to a top-driver) has release clauses.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Erik Junius
Verstappen himself could have closed his contract with Red Bull during the 2019 season if after the Hungarian Grand Prix (the stage before the summer break) he had not been among the top three drivers in the world rankings.
Max reached the halfway point of the season right in third position, behind Hamilton and Bottas, and both Helmut Marko and Christian Horner spent peaceful holidays. These clauses are the guarantee that a driver requires to make sure that he has a competitive car available and, usually, the team that grants them has a concrete basis to be able to guarantee them without risking to end up with a driver at the start.
In the case of Verstappen, however, we went beyond any possible technical forecast, because a duration of seven years is realistically too far to be the subject of forecasts, even in the face of a project with the best programming in history.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18
Photo by: Erik Junius
According to several managers who have been operating in the Formula 1 paddock for years, the negotiation between Verstappen and Red Bull should have developed on a two-year basis, with a renewal until the end of the 2025 season, or on the eve of the new technical cycle that will see the debut of a new generation. of power unit.
A time frame that would have been enough for Red Bull to protect themselves from a potential Mercedes assault on Max’s card following Hamilton’s retirement.
The forecasts have been sensationally denied, given that the agreement has gone beyond three seasons. But the question that arises is about the reasons that led Verstappen and Red Bull to go so far beyond the normal schedule.
Why does a driver, especially a champion like Verstappen, feel the need to extend his relationship with a team for so long? In the past this has never happened, but today there is a reason that explains this choice, and it is the danger (for the top-drivers) that a budget cap system could also be introduced for the drivers.
The ‘salary’ issue has been on the agenda for almost two years now, but at the moment the comparisons between the teams and the FIA have stalled. However, it is thought that within a couple of seasons the ‘drivers salary cap’ could be included in the financial regulation, a salary cap that each team must not exceed by adding the salaries of its two drivers.
If this rule is applied, Verstappen (and all those who have existing contracts with expiration after the entry into force of the regulation) will be exempted from the new limits, not being able to renegotiate contracts already deposited.
Verstappen has thus secured one of the highest remuneration ever (from 40 million to 50 million) until 2028, while Red Bull is certain that no opposing team will be able to guarantee Max a salary equivalent to that already contracted.
Should Verstappen decide to leave Red Bull before the set deadline, in the event of the ‘salary cap’ coming into force, he would lose a substantial portion of his salary, a deterrent that will guarantee Helmut Marko peaceful dreams for years to come.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18
Photo by: Erik Junius
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