Max Verstappen is being backed to mount an F1 title comeback this season after falling adrift in the title race following his Spanish Grand Prix saga.
A late penalty for the four-time F1 champion pitched him to 10th at the chequered flag, casting him 49 points behind Oscar Piastri, and 39 adrift of the Australian's McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.
With 15 grands prix and four sprints remaining, and 407 points still up for grabs, Verstappen cannot be counted out of the championship reckoning, although McLaren's dominance will be difficult to chip away at.
Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer recognised the tough encounter Verstappen endured in Spain when the Dutchman was handed a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Mercedes' George Russell late in the race, but is far from ruling him out of the mix.
"Certainly, Spain was tough for him," said Bayer, speaking to RacingNews365.
"I did hear that halfway through [the race] that Max, with his three-stop [strategy], was on a very good trajectory to put lots of pressure on the McLarens, but then things unfolded differently. That is where it went south.
"Max, certainly, you can never rule him out. I honestly prefer not to interpret too much into what the other team is going through because we're in these sessions, and we're completely separated.
"But it's our brother, and I wish for them for things to be easier."
Tsunoda 'doesn't know' Red Bull issue
Verstappen's quest for a fifth consecutive crown has been undermined by the fact he has not had a wingman to help him battle the McLaren duo.
Whilst it could be argued Piastri and Norris have taken points off one another so far, the fact that they have consistently been at the head of the field has allowed McLaren to dictate proceedings to a certain extent.
Verstappen was initially paired with Liam Lawson, only for the New Zealander to be dropped after two races as Red Bull then turned to Yuki Tsunoda.
Lawson failed to score in his two outings, whilst Tsunoda has only managed seven points from seven races as he has found the RB21 difficult to adjust to and drive compared to his time on track with Racing Bulls.
Bayer said he last spoke with Tsunoda on the morning of the Spanish Grand Prix, enjoying a coffee with the Japanese driver before his drive to 13th from a pitlane start after a wretched qualifying performance.
Bayer has confirmed that Tsunoda is finding life tough in the car. "He was in good shape," said Bayer. "I think he's got the confidence. He knows that he's quick, and we know that he's quick.
"What is it with that car? I'm not an engineer. Yuki says he doesn't know. It's also too early for him to really say what it is. It seems to be very, very difficult."
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