Red Bull eye Yuki Tsunoda 'role' in shock Max Verstappen F1 title bid

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies is confident Yuki Tsunoda can play a role for Max Verstappen in the drivers' title fight.

Verstappen has become a late factor in the battle against the McLaren drivers after winning three out of the last four grands prix.

He now sits 40 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri, a gap that was at 104 just four rounds ago.

The Dutchman has largely been fighting one-handed at Red Bull this year with Yuki Tsunoda unable to get close to his pace.

Mekies highlighted an improvement in form for the 25-year-old would also help Red Bull in its quest to finish second in the constructors' standings.

When asked about if Tsunoda can aid Verstappen's push, Mekies told media including RacingNews365: “I think there is a role.

“There is still a constructors’ championship discussion, obviously not for the win but for the other aspects. We need a Yuki response.

“The faster Yuki is, the more we can split the test across the car.

“We told you a couple of times this weekend we test this with that car, we test this with the other car. It’s important for us to have a very fast Yuki.”

McLaren's Piastri and Lando Norris have been evenly matched all year and could create strategy headaches for Red Bull if it does not have a second driver in place to help Verstappen.

“In terms of sporting situations and battling and strategy it is also possible that with Yuki picking up [speed] we can at some stage be in a position where we battle two against two,” Mekies added.

While Tsunoda has struggled with qualifying pace of late, his in-race progress has been more positive with two top-seven finishes in the last three grands prix.