Max Verstappen's season went from bad to worse last weekend as another error put pay to any hopes of racing for the chequered flag in the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix.

The serene progress of teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who has claimed two victories including in last Sunday's blue riband event of the F1 calendar, has only served to increase the pressure on the young Dutch driver's shoulders.

The 20-year-old Verstappen emerged as one of the most exciting talents in the sport when he claimed victory in the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, at the tender age of 18.

This stunning victory in his first competitive outing in the Red Bull seemed to herald the dawn of a new racing superstar, but since then the progress of the precocious young driver has stalled.

A series of high profile driving mistakes during the first three months of the 2018 season has raised doubts about his temperament with some even questioning his ability to pilot one of the more competitive cars on the grid.

Team boss Christian Horner, however, has reaffirmed his belief in Verstappen's qualities and has reminded everyone that his driver is still extremely young and relatively inexperienced compared to his rivals.

“Look, Max arrived in F1 very quickly,” said Horner. “So he is doing his learning in a very public arena and is in a front-running car very quickly.

"Most guys would have gone through some of this in the lower formulas that you wouldn’t have even seen, whereas he is having to deal with it in a very public arena.

"I’m sure he will emerge from it on the other side.”

Verstappen's rapid ascent in the motorsport world is the stuff of comic book legend. Just one year in F3 before graduating to become the youngest ever driver on an F1 grid with Torro Rosso in 2015 before his fairytale debut for Red Bull the following season.

While for now its plaudits for Ricciardo and brickbats for Verstappen, Horner believes there is not much to choose between the high quality pair apart from the Australian's greater experience.

“Since the beginning of 2016 when they got together it’s been no more than a tenth or so between the two of them.

“Daniel has continuously raised his game and I think he is in a purple patch of his career now at 28 years of age. He’s got the experience, he’s got the speed and [Monaco] was a great example of problem management under pressure.”