Four-time champion Max Verstappen said he'll have to rely on other drivers retiring if he is to keep alive his bid for a fifth Formula One title with a victory in Sunday's Mexico Grand Prix.

After qualifying fifth for Red Bull behind McLaren’s pole-sitting title-chasing Lando Norris, both Ferraris and Mercedes' George Russell, he complained of a difficult and frustrating day.

"Every lap that I have done this weekend has not been good," he said. “Short run, long run, it never felt in the window and that is not going to suddenly change for the better tomorrow.

"There is no real recovery drive when you have no pace ... I need people to retire in front of me if I am to get ahead.

"If we knew what was wrong we could change it but unfortunately we don't and we have tried so many things. It’s just not good.

"And it's not for a lack of trying," Verstappen added. "I knew from the start of Q1 that in my first run it was not going to be it today."

Verstappen has narrowed a gap of 104 points down to just 40 behind series leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren since the end of August, reeling off three wins and two seconds in five races.

But he knows he needs to keep his surge of near-perfect results going if he is to succeed in claiming an unexpected but spectacular fifth title this year.