Delay indicates that Marko is no longer in control, according to the report.

      "Marko is not the sole decision-maker"

      The postponement of Red Bull's announcement regarding its 2026 driver lineup is perceived as an indication that Dr. Helmut Marko no longer has complete control over significant choices, as stated by esteemed Dutch journalist Erik van Haren.

      "Helmut Marko has been claiming for months that they would reveal their driver lineup for next year after the Mexican Grand Prix," Van Haren shared with De Telegraaf. "Now, it likely won't be until late November or early December, just before the Abu Dhabi race."

      Although the 82-year-old Marko has been recognized as the mastermind behind Red Bull's driver strategy, Van Haren suggests that recent internal changes—particularly the dismissal of Christian Horner—have weakened his influence.

      "This also shows that Helmut Marko isn’t the only one making the decisions," he noted. "He is set on having Hadjar alongside Verstappen and then either Tsunoda or Lawson with Arvid Lindblad at Racing Bulls.

      "However, you also have Laurent Mekies and Oliver Mintzlaff, who have considerable influence. It’s not like Marko is the one in control anymore."

      Van Haren also mentioned that the delay could be a strategic move.

      "It’s actually quite clever," he said. "If you announce too soon who will take the Racing Bulls seats, how will the others perform for the remainder of the season?"

      Meanwhile, Ralf Schumacher told Sky Deutschland that an unexpected turn of events cannot be excluded—the possibility of Oscar Piastri switching to Red Bull.

      "That's not an option at the moment, but you never know what could happen if Piastri misses out on the title and becomes unhappy," Schumacher remarked.

      "While the likelihood of him joining Red Bull appears low, it's not out of the question. I can also easily envision Hadjar as Verstappen’s teammate—there’s no doubt about it."