Verstappen attended Canada GP without entourage

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has confirmed that Max Verstappen attended the Canada Grand Prix weekend in Montreal without his management team and father, Jos, in what was a change from the norm, and that it was a joint decision between the driver and the team.

Verstappen has had a stuttering start to his 2018 campaign which has been marred by a series of on-track incidents and collisions, leaving him down in sixth in the championship rankings behind both Ferrari and Mercedes drivers and his Red Bull team-mate, Daniel Ricciardo.

Horner has revealed that it was a joint decision for the young Dutchman to attend the Canadian Grand Prix without his entourage, although the team boss does not think the trend will become permanent.

"It's the first race he's ever done on his own and it's just something different," Horner said.

"Whether it has contributed in any way is impossible to say. He's still evolving and maturing as a driver as he gains more experience.

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"I'm not saying that it has contributed in any way, it was just something a little bit different, that we wanted to try. It was something that was discussed with him, it was something agreed between him and the team.

"He's been very immersed in everything that he's been doing this weekend and he's done a super job, so all credit to him for putting together a very strong race and finishing within a tenth of Valtteri [Bottas]."