Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has said the rate at which Max Verstappen is improving is "scary" and has praised the Red Bull driver's winning mentality ahead of this year's title showdown at the final two races.
Like Vettel, Verstappen has won four consecutive titles with Red Bull but, at 28-years old, looks likely to surpass the German's championship count before the end of his career.
Verstappen is still in with a chance of winning this year's title at the final two rounds, and has a 24-point gap to championship leader Lando Norris and the same number of points as Norris' McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
Regardless of whether he achieves a fifth title this year, Vettel believes Verstappen is improving with every passing season and says the Dutch driver has a mentality that makes him less susceptible to pressure.
"I think the scary thing is he's getting better," Vettel told the Beyond the Grid podcast. "We know he's good, but he's still improving. He's still hungry, he's still willing to learn.
"I think he's working very hard behind the scenes as well. And that's what makes him so strong.
"And of course, he's, I think, blessed with a lot of talent on top of that. But even if he's one of the most talented drivers on the grid, I think ultimately what makes him so strong, it's always a combination, but the key ingredient is his head.
"I think is in the situations where it matters, he keeps his head, hardly ever makes a mistake, delivers when he needs to. He feels the pressure, we all do -- I don't think it's possible to not feel the pressure -- but he's able to find a space in his head where he's able to put that to a side and focus on what matters."
When asked if Verstappen will be feeling less pressure than Norris and Piastri ahead of the championship showdowns in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, Vettel said: "Right now, yes, also because he's won the championships. I mean, not a lot of people won that many championships, but I've been lucky to say that I've won a couple.
"I think the biggest relief for me came with the first one. It's a bit like the first, the first win. It's like, wow, I can do this. And then obviously, after the first win, it's like, now it's clear more than ever, you want to win a championship
"So yeah, he doesn't need to prove to himself that he can win a championship. Plus, in the position he's in right now, being in the hunt, it's like, okay, just got to do everything perfect, and if it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't."