Verstappen moved to within one point of Norris in the standings with a brilliant win at the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position two weeks ago.

His weekend in Sakhir was a stark contrast to the highs of Suzuka as he qualified in seventh and finished the race three places lower than Briton Norris, who ended his day on the podium in third.

Verstappen continued: “I just go race by race. I think [Saudi Arabia] will be better than Bahrain. The rest is out of my hands.

“At the moment, we are not the quickest so it is tough to fight for a championship, but it is a long road. Last year here it all looked great and we know how the season ended up.”

Red Bull were untouchable in Jeddah last year with Verstappen first and then team-mate Sergio Perez second. But while the Dutchman went on to seal his fourth title in a row, Red Bull lost out to McLaren in the constructors’ championship, eventually dropping behind Ferrari and finishing third.

“I enjoyed last year and the year before when we were dominant,” said Verstappen.

“Now it is enjoyable in a way of the challenges that are out there and trying to improve the situation I would say.

“I am happy, I am not very happy with my car. But we all want to be better, there is no secret in that. We all want to improve.”