Lewis Hamilton has told Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris they will need to be as "cut-throat" as Max Verstappen if they want to win the Formula One world title.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton controversially lost out to Verstappen in the fierce title scrap in 2021 and the Dutchman has romped to three championships since.
His bid for a fifth straight crown appeared to be over when he left Zandvoort in August 104 points adrift of leader Piastri.
But Verstappen has won three of the four races since and now sits only 40 points behind the Australian - with Norris himself having closed to within 14 of his McLaren team-mate.
With five rounds remaining and 141 points up for grabs ahead of this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix, Verstappen has emerged as a genuine title threat.
And Hamilton knows more than most the fearsome competitor the McLaren duo are up against as they bid to win a first drivers' championship.
"The pressure is high. 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," Ferrari driver Hamilton told Sky Sports.
"Also, you really have to be cut-throat and that is what Max is. 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."
Verstappen insists he is relishing the "positive pressure" of hunting down his title rivals and denied claims that he had lost interest midway through the season.
His perfect weekend at the United States Grand Prix, where he won both the sprint and the race from pole, ignited his charge for a fifth successive championship - hope that he declared was lost prior to the summer break.
With 141 points still up for grabs, a genuine three-way title race has emerged and Verstappen is focused on giving his all to try and clinch the crown.
"Worst case, I'm still P3, right?" he said ahead of this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix.
You really have to be cut-throat and that is what Max is. He is going to take this from them if they don't do the same
"I just want to try and win races until the end of the season. 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. 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."
Red Bull's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko told Sky Sports after last weekend's race in Austin that he believed Verstappen had "lost interest" earlier in the season when the car was not competitive.
That is not an assessment Verstappen agrees with and he insisted he gives his all every time he steps in the car.
Asked if he agreed with the Austrian's comments, 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.
"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."
