Max Verstappen has an exit clause in his Red Bull contract should Honda decide to leave Formula 1, Helmut Marko has revealed.

Regulation changes in the sport of F1 are due in 2021, with the sport deciding to hit the restart button on its current regulation.

Honda is currently penned for just one more season in the sport, and if they do opt out, that means Verstappen would then be free to leave Red Bull, despite recently signing a three-year contract.

Helmut believes that the deal will bring a stability to the team, with exit clauses usually believed to be something that creates uncertain futures for drivers.

“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,” Marko stated, as per planetF1.

“We are, however, satisfied because this contract gives stability to the whole team and an incredible motivation."

The Dutchman, who was born in Belgium, signed a new three-year contract recently which would see him stay with the team until January 2023, but this exit clause could change things.

“We have a contract with Honda until 2021, but obviously being without an engine for the future it would complicate all our plans.

“Generally speaking, it is a fixed contract and if everything goes in the right direction there will be no problems,” Marko told Motorsport-Magazin.com.

“Consequently, it is clear that we need a competitive engine to keep hold of Verstappen.”

Verstappen finished third overall in the Drivers’ Championship this year. However, he was still someway off the pace, finishing 135 points behind winner Lewis Hamilton.

His teammate Alexander Albon finished down in eighth overall, which meant that Red Bull could only secure third in the Constructors' Championship.

Red Bull are still yet to confirm when their new car will be unveiled for the 2020 season. Nonetheless, testing begins in Barcelona at the end of the month.