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Amid all excitement surrounding the Las Vegas Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is keeping a level head about his chances of securing his first drivers' championship.

Norris currently has a 24-point lead over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with only a maximum of 83 points available across the final three events. But, after pulling off a extraordinary comeback from 34 points behind Piastri following the Zandvoort race in the summer, Norris is focused on executing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the top of the championship.

"Things can easily go the opposite way again as much as I hope it doesn't," he stated. "That's motorsport, as we all know. You can also have luck. Other times you end up unfortunate. No matter what happens. It's no point getting excited or dwelling on it. I continue to view it as a goal that's quite far away."

The 26-year-old has discovered his best form at a critical juncture—after difficulties with the vehicle in the first part of the season—at the same time that Piastri has lost the controlled, almost flawless ease that had for so long made him appear to be a future title winner. Notably, Norris kept a impressive level of composure throughout, insisting even in the face of challenges—such as his retirement from the Zandvoort race—that he would stick to his strategy and work every outing with the same unwavering attention to detail. It has yielded results.

Meanwhile, the team have worked hard to try to maintain a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has on occasion been a rather difficult process, most notably at the Italian Grand Prix when the team directed Piastri to cede the runner-up spot to his teammate after he had lost the spot because of a delayed tire change. Certain spectators did not take well to what was considered McLaren needlessly manipulating their competitors.

Norris has claimed victory in the previous pair of races, in Mexico City and São Paulo, and was booed on the winner's rostrum at each, yet he remained unfazed. "When you're on top, a lot of people try to undermine you. They don't like seeing you succeeding. I consider it a good thing," he remarked.

"It just amuses me. While standing on the winner's stage in Brazil, I really enjoyed it. The experience was very enjoyable. At last you feel like you're doing success.

"I don't mind, as long as I win. If I feel like I am competing the right manner, which I feel like I am, as long as I am confident I am dedicating hard work into being who I am and those kinds of things, then I am not concerned with external opinions."

Las Vegas, on the other hand, must be conquered, and it is a circuit ideal for the McLaren. The layout has characteristics with Canada and Azerbaijan: low downforce, chilly conditions, and low grip. These are the only two circuits in the current championship where the papaya squad have failed to secure at least one top-three finish, and Norris was circumspect once more about their chances in Nevada. Still, his task in the short term is straightforward: finish in front of his teammate and the championship tally he needs will follow.

Practice Shows Varied Results for Championship Contenders

Charles Leclerc led the times in FP1 on what was remained a sandy and extremely slippery surface. Alex Albon was runner-up, with the Red Bull star in fourth, Norris in P6, and the Australian in eighth. During the more representative evening session of second practice, Norris was fastest ahead of the Mercedes of the Italian rookie, with Piastri 14th; however, the practice lost nearly the last third of track time to check a suspected loose drain cover at turn 17.

The issue is treated with caution on a temporary track where, at the first Nevada GP staged in 2023, a dislodged manhole struck Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, heavily damaging it and causing the session to be aborted.

The German Team Confirm Stake Sale

Mercedes have confirmed that their team principal the Austrian executive has sold a 15% stake in his holding company, equating to a five percent ownership in the squad, to American billionaire George Kurtz. Kurtz is the chief executive and creator of the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. The team principal will stay on as boss and could earn up to £230m from the sale, with the Brackley-based outfit having been valued at £4.57 billion, a record for an F1 team.