Nico Hulkenberg jokingly shrugged off the speculation linking him to Red Bull next season.

In Monaco, it was reported the team's advisor Helmut Marko had made contact with the German as a possible back-up option if the results of Pierre Gasly don't improve.

Unsurprisingly, the Frenchman wasn't impressed, declaring it "bulls**t" on Thursday, and the Renault driver also denied there was any truth to it.

"I think I heard it came from the Italian side," Hulkenberg said in Montreal. "It was made up. It's basically fake news."

The German even admitted the suggestion of Red Bull interest meant very little to him.

"Felt great for my ego!" he smiled. "Not really. It didn't do anything to me. My confidence level is OK, even without it."

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Certainly, Red Bull would be a step up from Renault who have struggled to score the expected results this season.

After six races, Hulkenberg has just one points finish to his name, coming in Australia, but he is confident the situation will improve.

"We will bounce back," he stated. "I'm feeling fairly strong. The record here, I like this place and this track, and I feel our package is definitely competitive for the fourth-best team.

"I think we know what to do this weekend with both cars."