Lewis Hamilton has advised Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to be 'cut-throat' with reigning world champion Max Verstappen as the three drivers battle for the 2025 Drivers' Championship title.

Heading into this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix, Piastri, Norris and Verstappen are separated by 40 points, with the Red Bull driver the furthest back of the trio. However, momentum is on the reigning champion's side, and he has won three of the last five full-length races, finishing twice on the other occasions.

Hamilton understands the intensity that comes with a title fight against Verstappen. The two heavyweights engaged in a historic battle in 2021, which ended with the Red Bull driver taking the crown on the last lap in Abu Dhabi. They came to blows on the track at multiple points during the campaign.

Asked if he had any advice for the McLaren duo, Hamilton told Sky Sports F1: "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. 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."

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Of the three title contenders, Piastri is the man under the most pressure. The 24-year-old left the Dutch Grand Prix in early September with a 34-point advantage over team-mate Norris, and over 100 points in the bank on Verstappen.

Despite his concerning form, Piastri remains confident that he can turn the ship around. "I'd still rather be where I am than the other two," he said in Austin. "Definitely, Max and Red Bull have found a lot of pace since the summer break as well. We saw flashes of it at the start of the year, but it's been consistent since then.

"I've been in fights that were as close or, at this point, even closer than what they are now. So I've got the evidence for myself that things can still turn out well, and I still fully believe that I can win the championship. This weekend has obviously been tough, and the gap has come down a little bit in the last few weekends."