Horner defends Vestappen: "He's learning in a very public arena"

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has defended his employee Max Verstappen, saying that the Dutchman is still very young and is doing his learning very openly.

Verstappen became the youngest ever driver in F1 when he made his debut for Toro Rosso at age seventeen, and people often forget that he's still just 20 years old, eighteen years younger than Kimi Raikkonen.

Horner, therefore, thinks that Max's age should be taken into account when judging him, as he's been in the spotlight since before he was an adult.

“Max arrived in F1 very quickly so he is doing his learning in a very public arena and is in a front-running car very quickly,” the Brit told the Formula One website.

“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 managed one podium finish in Barcelona (with a broken front wing), but overall it's the many mistakes of the Dutchman that have been the storyline for him this season. People have started comparing him to crashing legend Pastor Maldonado, which is never a good place to be in. Can he turn it around in Canada?