Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has been left stunned by Max Verstappen's recent performances, describing the way he has taken the fight to McLaren as "bizarre".
In Schumacher's eyes, McLaren's "nerves" are starting to increase to ensure either Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris seal the drivers' title.
Verstappen has been unstoppable since Red Bull introduced a new floor to the RB21 in the Italian GP, while a new front wing was also developed in time for Singapore.
Since Monza, Verstappen is yet to qualify or finish behind a McLaren, and has won three of the last four races.
Before Monza, the four-time world champion sat 104 points behind Piastri, a gap he has cut to just 40 ahead of this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix.
Schumacher did not expect Verstappen to achieve what he has in recent rounds, particularly finishing on the podium at the Marina Bay Circuit given Red Bull's previous struggles at the venue.
"It's bizarre what he's doing at the moment," Schumacher said on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast.
"I personally expected Singapore to be a low point for the team, because theoretically that has always been Red Bull and Verstappen's Achilles' heel.
"But that race was good. So it was no surprise that the team and the car performed well in America."
The current form of the 28-year-old is putting McLaren under intense pressure, particularly as Red Bull appears to have completely eradicated its performance advantage.
A record-equalling fifth consecutive drivers' title is quickly becoming a real possibility for Verstappen, as is McLaren throwing the title away.
"He's driving incredibly strong, and aerodynamically everything seems to be perfect, it's just right," added Schumacher.
"And from the outside you start to notice the tension. At McLaren, you notice that nerves are slowly starting to rise. They are not as relaxed as before."
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