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Despite all excitement around the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lando Norris is keeping a calm demeanor regarding his prospects of securing his maiden world title.

The British driver presently has a two-dozen point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by 49 points, with only up to 83 points available across the remaining trio of events. But, after staging a extraordinary recovery from 34 points behind Piastri after the Zandvoort race in the summer, Norris is focused on executing with the methodical approach that lifted him to the lead of the standings.

"It can easily turn in the other direction once more even though I hope it doesn't," he commented. "That's racing, as we all know. Sometimes you also have luck. You can end up unlucky. Whatever it may be. There's really no point getting excited or dwelling on it. I continue to view it as something that remains far away."

The 26-year-old has discovered his peak performance at a crucial moment—after difficulties with the car in the first part of the campaign—while Piastri has shed the disciplined, nearly flawless composure that previously made him appear to be a champion in waiting. Notably, Norris maintained a remarkable level of equanimity throughout, insisting even in the face of setbacks—such as his withdrawal from the Dutch GP—that he would adhere to his gameplan and approach each session with the same unwavering attention to detail. This approach has paid off.

All the while, the team have gone to no little effort to try to maintain a fair competition for their two drivers, and it has at times been something of torturous process, especially at the Italian Grand Prix when the squad instructed the Australian to cede second place to his teammate after he had fallen behind due to a delayed tire change. Certain spectators did not take well to what was considered McLaren unnecessarily manipulating their drivers.

The championship leader has claimed victory in the last two races, in Mexico City and São Paulo, and was booed on the winner's rostrum at each, yet he remained unmoved. "When you're on top, a lot of people try to undermine you. They do not want to see you winning. I see it as a positive sign," he said.

"It just makes me laugh. While standing on the podium in Interlagos, I really loved it. It was quite enjoyable. You finally sense that you're doing success.

"I don't mind, provided that I come out on top. If I feel like I am competing the correct manner, which I feel like I am, so long as I feel like I'm putting effort into remaining true to myself and similar principles, then I am not concerned with the rest of it."

Vegas, on the other hand, must be conquered, and it is not a track ideal for the British team. The layout has similarities with Canada and Azerbaijan: minimal aerodynamic grip, chilly conditions, and slippery surfaces. These are the sole pair of tracks this season where McLaren have been unable to claim at least one podium place, and Norris was cautious again about their chances this weekend. Still, his objective in the short term is simple: end the race in ahead of his teammate and the points he needs will follow.

Friday Running Sees Varied Outcomes for Championship Contenders

The Ferrari driver led the leaderboard in first practice on what was still a sandy and extremely low-grip track. The Williams racer was second, with Verstappen in fourth, the McLaren ace in P6, and Piastri eighth. In the more representative night running of second practice, the Briton was quickest from the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, with his teammate down in fourteenth; though, the practice lost nearly the last third of running to check a suspected loose drain cover at the penultimate corner.

This problem is treated with caution on a street circuit where, at the first Las Vegas GP staged in 2023, a loose manhole smashed into the Ferrari, severely harming it and causing the session to be aborted.

The German Team Announce Ownership Transaction

Mercedes have confirmed that their boss the Austrian executive has sold a 15% stake in his holding company, equating to a 5% share in the team, to American billionaire George Kurtz. Kurtz is the CEO and founder of the cybersecurity company the tech giant. The team principal will remain as boss and could earn up to £230 million from the deal, with Mercedes having been valued at £4.57 billion, a record for an Formula 1 constructor.