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Amid all hype surrounding the Las Vegas Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is keeping a calm demeanor regarding his chances of claiming his first drivers' championship.

Norris currently has a 24-point advantage over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by 49 points, with only a maximum of 83 points available across the final three races. However, after staging a extraordinary comeback from 34 points behind Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix in the summer, Norris is focused on executing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the lead of the standings.

"It can quickly turn the opposite way once more as much as I hope it doesn't," he commented. "That's motorsport, you know. Sometimes you get lucky. Other times you also be unlucky. Whatever it may be. It's not worth becoming overjoyed or thinking about it. I continue to do see it as a goal that's quite far away."

Norris has discovered his best form at a critical moment—after difficulties with the vehicle in the opening half of the campaign—at the same time that Piastri has shed the disciplined, almost perfect ease that had for so long made him appear to be a future title winner. Importantly, Norris kept a remarkable level of composure all along, insisting even in the face of challenges—such as his retirement from the Dutch GP—that he would adhere to his gameplan and approach every outing with the same relentless focus on specifics. It has yielded results.

Meanwhile, the team have worked hard to attempt to maintain a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has at times been something of torturous process, most notably at the Italian Grand Prix when the squad instructed Piastri to surrender second place to Norris following he had lost the spot because of a delayed tire change. Some fans were unhappy with what was considered McLaren unnecessarily manipulating their competitors.

The championship leader has claimed victory in the previous pair of races, in Mexico and São Paulo, and was jeered on the winner's rostrum at both, yet he remained unmoved. "When you're on top, many individuals want to undermine you. They don't want to see you winning. I consider it a good thing," he said.

"It amuses me. When I was on the winner's stage in Brazil, I really loved it. It was very satisfying. At last you feel like you are achieving success.

"I don't mind, as long as I come out on top. As long as I believe I'm doing it the right way, and I think I am, as long as I feel like I am dedicating hard work into being who I am and similar principles, then I am not concerned with external opinions."

Vegas, on the other hand, must be conquered, and it is not a track ideal for the British team. It shares characteristics with Montreal and Baku: low downforce, cool temperatures, and low grip. They are the only two tracks in the current championship where the papaya squad have failed to claim a single top-three finish, and Norris was cautious again about their prospects in Nevada. Still, his objective in the immediate future is straightforward: finish in front of his teammate and the points he needs will come.

Practice Sees Varied Outcomes for Title Rivals

The Ferrari driver topped the leaderboard in first practice on what was remained a sandy and very low-grip surface. Alex Albon was runner-up, with the Red Bull star in fourth, the McLaren ace sixth, and the Australian in eighth. During the more indicative evening session of second practice, Norris was fastest ahead of the Silver Arrows of Kimi Antonelli, with Piastri 14th; however, the session was interrupted for nearly the final 20 minutes of running to inspect a reported unsecured manhole cover at turn 17.

This problem is treated with caution on a street circuit where, at the inaugural Nevada GP held in 2023, a dislodged manhole struck the Ferrari, severely damaging it and causing the practice to be ended.

Mercedes Confirm Stake Transaction

Mercedes have confirmed that their team principal the Austrian executive has sold a fifteen percent share in his holding company, equating to a five percent ownership in the team, to US tycoon the cybersecurity magnate. The investor is the chief executive and creator of the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Wolff will stay on as team principal and could earn up to £230 million from the deal, with the Brackley-based outfit having been valued at £4.57 billion, a record for an F1 team.