Red Bull boss Christian Horner has urged Max Verstappen to keep the faith as he looks to overcome his struggles this season.

The 19-year-old had been hoping to compete for the World Championship but he has had to endure a succession of mechanical failures.

A number of retirements in the first eight races have seen Verstappen’s progress stall and he now sits sixth in the drivers’ standings.

Verstappen has picked up just 45 points and he is over 100 points behind current championship leader Sebastian Vettel.

Team-mate Daniel Ricciardo has racked up 92 points and won once this season but Horner believes Verstappen’s luck is set to change.

He failed to fulfil his media obligations after back-to-back retirements in Montreal and Baku but Horner insists the youngster is not at fault and will soon start competing again.

“We sit down and talk about these things and he’s driving at such a high level at the moment,” he told Sky Sports F1.

“He’s doing everything right, there’s nothing that he’s done wrong, so he’s just got to keep doing what he’s doing. He can see the potential in the car is there.

“He was running P2 in Montreal when the battery failed. He was probably in position to win the grand prix in Baku when the engine failed. It’s nothing he’s doing wrong so he can take real solace from that.”

Verstappen will start Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix in sixth and you can back him at odds of 10.00 to win the race.