Red Bull F1 boss Horner: Ricciardo run compounding Verstappen pain

Verstappen was running fourth when he retired his car from last weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix with an engine problem, while team-mate Ricciardo capitalised on a chaotic race to take the team's first win of 2017 and his fourth successive podium.

The Baku retirement was Verstappen's third mechanical failure of the year and his fourth non-finish in six races.

Red Bull has completed the fewest laps of any team this year with 685, compared to Force India's leading tally of 956, with Verstappen joking that at least his car will be reliable when he does a simulator session this week.

Verstappen did not speak to media after Sunday's race, saying he "didn't really feel" like talking.

Horner said he understood Verstappen would be feeling "enormously frustrated", especially given Ricciardo has had the run of luck that puts him 47 points clear of the teenager in the drivers' standings.

"Right here and now, he's enormously frustrated," said Horner.

"But what compounds that is that his team-mate has been getting podiums and now a victory.

"But you can see it is through no fault of the team or the effort the team is putting in."

Horner felt there was "no doubt" Verstappen would have won the race had the engine problem - which is still be investigated - not occurred, as he was running behind three drivers - Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez - who eventually hit trouble later in the race.

Despite the run of bad results, which includes Verstappen running in a podium position last time out in Canada after a stunning start before encountering a battery failure, Horner believes the teenager's luck will change.

"He's had a few rough races, where things haven't gone his way, but I just get the feeling that there's a big result just around the corner for him," he said.

"He's driving so well at the moment, he's really stepped it up a gear.

"He's had a run of bad luck, that will turn - it always does."

When asked if there was a fear the frustration will lead to him overdriving the car, Horner said: "Well he hasn't, in fairness to him.

"He came to Baku and he's been on it all weekend. He's been massively impressive, particularly in the second sector.

"So I don't think so. He's a very mature 19-year-old.

"He's obviously hungry for success and he feels it, which is probably a good thing.

"He'll grow in his career from this current experience that's been tremendously frustrating for him and he'll come out even stronger - I've got no doubt about that."