Max Verstappen insists Red Bull must be "perfect" to capture a fifth-consecutive F1 drivers' championship this season.
The Dutchman has dragged himself back into contention over the past four rounds, picking up three victories and a second-place finish, as well as winning the sprint at last weekend's United States Grand Prix.
His exploits have severely eroded title leader Oscar Piastri's once 104-point advantage to only 40 with five rounds remaining. Lando Norris, in the second McLaren, sits between them in the standings, 26 points ahead of Verstappen.
Speaking to The Inside Track podcast, Verstappen was asked whether he had given up on his championship aspirations when clinching another crown did not seem possible, to which he replied: "Yeah, at one point.
"When you start going to, like, 80, 90 points, 100 points [adrift], you normally... well, especially four, five races ago, you think, 'That's a big ask'.
"And also, with the way the performances were going, it was not really looking very likely. But it's not like, really giving up, you're still trying to maximise the results that you get, right?
"If that's P3 or P5 or P6, you just try and do the best you can. But yeah, now lately, with the results that we have, it looks like we are back into it."
The catalyst for Verstappen's unexpected charge has been a late-season transformation at Red Bull under the leadership of new team principal Laurent Mekies and a highly effective floor upgrade introduced to the RB21 at the Italian Grand Prix, the start of the 28-year-old's imperious run of form.
Nonetheless, the 68-time grand prix winner knows perfection is required to add to his four F1 drivers' championships. He faces a difficult task in Mexico, starting from fifth on the grid behind polesitter Norris, and with his car lacking race pace.
"At the same time, I also know that everything needs to go perfect to the end," Verstappen added.
"But having said that, we have done it before, even though, of course, when we have done it before, we were way more dominant, I would say, but why not?
"It's a good task, we have fun. The pressure is not on us. We are enjoying what we're doing. And you know, we will give everything we have until the end. If it's enough, that will be a brilliant story.
"If not, we will still be proud; the upswing of performance is quite remarkable, and we will be very happy with what we have delivered."
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