Lewis Hamilton issues 'cut-throat' Max Verstappen warning to McLaren drivers

Lewis Hamilton has told McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris they must be "cut-throat" if they want to defeat Max Verstappen to the 2025 title. 

Although Piastri leads Norris by 12 points and Verstappen by 40 heading into the Mexican Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver has all the momentum, having taken 64 points out of Piastri in the last four races, with three wins in the last five.

For Piastri, this is his first challenge for the F1 world championship, whilst Norris was briefly in contention in 2024 against Verstappen - the four-time champion.

Describing how the two could defeat Verstappen, Hamilton explained that being "cutthroat" was the key for Piastri or Norris to become the first McLaren drivers' champion since Hamilton himself in 2008.

"It's not their first championship, obviously, they've won other championships in other categories," Hamilton told Sky Sports F1. 

"I'm not one to really want to give advice to them, but I mean, it's challenging when you're in the team. The pressure is high. 

"It's definitely a time where you really have to put your blinkers up. You have to block absolutely everything from the outside. There's so much coming in, positive and negative.

"You have to be really cut-throat, that's what Max is. He is going to take this from them if they don't do the same; they've got to be pushing. 

"You've got to dig deep to be able to, firstly, to be able to hold on to someone like Max and, in the car that he's in at the moment. 

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