Rumours are swirling that Max Verstappen could leave Oracle Red Bull Racing following the exits of high-profile team members, including long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.
Red Bull’s difficult start to the 2026 season also reportedly gives Verstappen the option to activate a break clause in his current contract.
Verstappen missed out on taking a fifth Formula 1 title in a row in 2025, but he has still brought significant value to Red Bull beyond the track.
The 28-year-old brings home a reported £41.7 million per-year from a contract signed in 2022 that takes him through to 2028, which is propped up by various personal sponsorship agreements that also extend to the team.
Should he choose to leave, he will be one of the most marketable drivers available on the grid, bringing not only a championship-winning pedigree but also a huge commercial portfolio, too.
Here, Sector takes a look at his brand deals and commercial worth.
Heineken
Dutch beer giant Heineken is one of Verstappen’s biggest sponsors, and through his personal deal, has been an official partner of Red Bull since 2023.
Verstappen is a global ambassador of Heineken’s 0.0 alcohol brand, a new venture for them, having previously only sponsored sports competitions such as the Champions League and F1 itself.
It led to the launch of the ‘Player 0.0’ sponsor activation, an initiative that fuses Verstappen’s love of sim racing and gaming while also promoting responsible drinking. Verstappen said it was “truly special” to partner up with the iconic Dutch brand, having appeared in their road safety ads.
Heineken has been involved in fan activations throughout the 2025 season, most recently presenting a fan with the first-ever F1 ‘season ticket’ that enables them to attend every race in the 2026 season free of charge.
The partnership is reportedly worth £26 million per year in a deal that runs the same length as Verstappen’s current contract, up until 2028.
Fanatics
Fanatics and Verstappen announced a multi-year global partnership, making him the brand’s first active athlete to partner with the commerce brand.
The partnership is focused on e-commerce, licensed sports merchandise and trading cards – including autographs, inscriptions and exclusive one-of-a-kind race-worn relics.
Celebrating the announcement, Fanatics Collectables released a Verstappen Card that commemorates his record-breaking lap at Monza in 2025. The card contained an insert of his race suit worn at Monza, with each driver only having one card issued over the course of their career.
TAG Heuer
Red Bull signed TAG Heuer as their official partner and timekeeper in 2016, and Verstappen has been a brand ambassador ever since. Much of this can be attributed to his success on track, since winning on Sunday often means selling on Monday.
Verstappen was part of TAG’s ‘Don’t Crack Under Pressure’ campaign in 2017, and is the main face of its adverts in-store. As part of LVMH, TAG Heuer became F1’s official timekeeper in 2025.
EA Sports
Sports entertainment software giant EA Sports, who create the official F1 game, partnered with Verstappen in 2023.
Their branding can be seen on his helmet, while Verstappen also has his own ‘champions’ edition release of the yearly F1 game that features him as the cover star.
This partnership extended to Red Bull for the 2024 season, with EA Sports sponsoring the team and introducing several bespoke helmet designs for Verstappen for use at key Grands Prix during the year.
AlphaTauri
Verstappen became a global brand ambassador to the Red Bull clothing brand AlphaTauri in 2025, a role that sees the Dutchman wearing their clothes and promoting their lifestyle brand at each of the 24 races on the calendar.
The partnership gives AlphaTauri global exposure while also tying it to Verstappen’s success on track, after dropping the fashion brand as the title sponsor of their sister team at the end of 2022.
Viaplay
Verstappen entered a multi-year partnership with Nordic broadcasting company Viaplay in 2022, with the Dutchman becoming a global ambassador for the platform.
The partnership also featured numerous exclusive media and lifestyle programs, including behind-the-scenes looks at his championship-winning seasons.
The latest documentary series, Max Verstappen – New Ground, followed the creation of his own racing team, which went on to race at this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Constructors Championship
Each position in the F1 Constructors’ Championship is worth millions of dollars in prize money – the pot for 2025 was £925 million, with the top estimate being £138 million for the winners, McLaren.
Red Bull finished in third place and earned an estimated £112 million, with Verstappen scoring 421 out of their 451 points, which is 93% of their total. The Dutchman was effectively his own constructor owing to the amount of points he scored compared to his teammates, which enabled him to finish second in the Drivers’ Championship ahead of Oscar Piastri.
Employees’ bonuses at Red Bull are tied to winning the Constructors Championship, which they achieved in 2022 and 2023.
Verstappen.com Racing
Red Bull has helped Verstappen with other off-track pursuits, including the Verstappen.com race team. The integrated partnership ‘Verstappen.com Racing x Red Bull’ combines Verstappen’s motorsport interests outside of F1, including GT racing and rallying.
The Red Bull branding can be seen on all of his competition cars and merchandise, and gained prominent exposure during a GT3 race at the Nurburgring, where Verstappen intends to compete in the 24-hour event in the future.
