Norris said that Verstappen is “genuinely a challenger” for the championship with seven races to go, reiterating a view McLaren team principal Andrea Stella expressed in Baku.

The Dutchman’s victory two weeks ago was his fourth of the season, while Piastri has won seven and Norris five.

Norris said Verstappen had always been a bigger threat to McLaren than was generally perceived.

The Briton said: “If you go back to the beginning of the season, they were challenging the first six, seven races, challenging us in the drivers’, and then we brought some upgrades, improved a little bit.

“A couple of races ago, they brought some upgrades and it seems like that’s kind of put them back on the same level as us.

“We’re still expecting and we still come into every race with the ambition and with the goal of winning and wanting to dominate as a team and continue the form that we’ve had all season.

“Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull certainly over the last few weekends have been closer, so we expect battles, especially with them.”

Verstappen, who has never won in Singapore, said: “From my side, honestly, I just see it as a race by race thing. Sixty-nine points is still a lot, especially if you look at how the season has gone so far.

“McLaren has been incredibly dominant, that doesn’t suddenly change. So for me, I’m not too stressed about anything.”

McLaren are almost certain to win the constructors’ championship this weekend – they will clinch the title as long as Mercedes do not outscore them by 31 points, or Ferrari by 35.