Lewis Hamilton warns McLaren drivers to get their elbows out if they are to stop the Max Verstappen steamroller.

Of course, the seven-time world champion speaks from experience, having fought a bitter battle with the Dutchman throughout 2021 culminating in the farce that was Abu Dhabi.

McLaren hasn't won a race since the Netherlands, indeed Oscar Piastri has only made it to the podium once, while Verstappen has claimed three wins and reduced a 104-point deficit to just 40 in four race weekends!

"The pressure is high," Hamilton told Sky sports. "It is a time where you have to put your blinkers up and block everything from the outside.

"There is so much coming in, positive and negative," he added.

"Also, you really have to be cut-throat and that is what Max is," he warned. "He is going to take this from them if they don't do the same.

"They have got to be pushing and you have to dig deep firstly to be able to hold off someone like Max in the car that he is in at the moment.

"But for either of them to come out ahead, consistency is key and we have seen that from Max in the last few races."

However, outwardly, Verstappen is still playing down his chances.

"Worst case, I'm still P3, right?" he told reporters. "I just want to try and win races until the end of the season," he added. "We had a good run and we also know as a team that it needs to be perfect to have a chance. So, if it works, then great, unbelievable comeback.

"Of course, I've won championships very late, very early," he continued. "Now, this one, of course, is very different because I think for most of the season it was a lot harder for us.

"To be able to still be in this fight is very surprising but I take it. For me, it's just positive pressure. I'm loving what I'm doing. If the car is competitive, it's much better to be racing in it than when it's not."

Asked if he agreed with Helmut Marko's post-Austin claim that at one stage mid-season he had lost interest in the championship, possibly leading to his Nurburgring excursions, Verstappen said: "No, I don't!

"Of course, it's more enjoyable coming to the race weekends like this, knowing that you have a chance to win," he continued. "But I know for myself that when I sit in the car, I always try to maximise everything that I have and I give it everything.

"So, even if I'm fighting for P4 or even a P9, I will always try to get the best out of it."