Max Verstappen is better than five-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton on current form, reckons Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

The Dutchman has excelled so far this season for Red Bull since taking up a more leadership role since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure to Renault.

Verstappen earned his first win of the season at the previous race in Austria, which launched him to third in the Drivers' Championship, behind only Hamilton and the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas.

Horner said after Verstappen's Austrian win that he had "thought for a little while" that the Dutchman was the best driver in F1.

He also attended a media event ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix where he was asked if he was even better than five-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

"As the form driver, he is," said Horner. "As the driver in the form of his life, arguably over the past 12 months, he's been the best driver in the world.

"How do I substantiate that? He's not in the best car. But when you look at the results he's got out of that car since Montreal last year, some of the performances he's put in, he's made virtually zero mistakes in that period.

"It's only natural that there's always the next generation coming. Lewis has got the benefit of experience, he's still extremely quick, and he’s in the best car, in a very well-oiled machine.

"Max is very much the coming man. Wouldn't it be fantastic for the sport to see those guys go head-to-head?"

The Red Bull team principal also added that he would “absolutely back Max” to come out on top in the same machinery as Hamilton, who has triumphed on four occasions since joining Mercedes in 2012.

The pair both return to the track this weekend at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, and Horner is hoping his words of support can help Verstappen add to his Austrian Grand Prix victory by winning this weekend.