The McLaren driver lost a podium finish to Verstappen at the United States Grand Prix last weekend after he was penalised for overtaking the Red Bull man off-track and has conceded that he needs to sharpen up in wheel-to-wheel duels with the Dutchman.

Norris - who trails Verstappen by 57 points with five races of the season left - said: "Max is the best in the world in this style of defence and attacking. So I have to be at his level and at the moment I am not quite at the level I need to be at.

"It's a shame to say, but it's probably the truth. At the same time, it's a chance for me to learn and progress."

Norris questioned the three-time world champion's aggressive defence of the position and thinks that "tweaks" need to be made to the rulebook to allow for better racing between drivers.

He said ahead of this weekend's race in Mexico City: "The fact of getting off the brakes just to be ahead at apex, no matter how wide you run on the exit, is incorrect and I don't believe that's how racing should be.

"So I think there are some tweaks [that need making]. But Max races hard, I expect that. I just don't think I was in the wrong last weekend. I don't believe either of us were necessarily in the wrong.

"It's not that I believe he should have got a penalty and I shouldn't. I don't believe either of us should have got a penalty.

"The stewards have a tough job because every race is different. You have to understand the driver's mindset. He has nothing to lose, I have a lot to lose. So he can afford to take bigger risks than I can and that's just the unfortunate position I'm in at the moment."