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Despite the excitement around the Las Vegas Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is maintaining a level head regarding his chances of securing his maiden world title.

The British driver currently holds a 24-point advantage over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by 49 points, with only a maximum of eighty-three points available across the final three events. However, after staging a remarkable recovery from 34 points behind Piastri following the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Norris is focused on executing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the lead of the championship.

"It can quickly go in the other direction once more even though I don't want it to," he stated. "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 do see it as a goal that remains far away."

Norris has found his best form at a critical moment—having struggled with the car in the opening half of the season—while Piastri has shed the controlled, nearly perfect ease that previously made him seem to be a future title winner. Importantly, Norris maintained a impressive level of equanimity throughout, insisting even in the face of setbacks—like his retirement from the Zandvoort race—that he would stick to his gameplan and work each session with the same unwavering focus on specifics. This approach has paid off.

Meanwhile, the team have worked hard to try to maintain a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has at times been a rather difficult experience, especially at the Italian Grand Prix when the squad directed Piastri to cede the runner-up spot to his teammate following he had lost the spot because of a delayed tire change. Some fans did not take well to what was seen as McLaren unnecessarily manipulating their drivers.

Norris has won the last two grands prix, in Mexico City and Brazil, and was jeered on the winner's rostrum at each, yet he remained unmoved. "When you're on top, a lot of individuals try to bring you down. They don't want to see you winning. I see it as a positive sign," he remarked.

"It just amuses me. While standing on the winner's stage in Interlagos, I really enjoyed it. It was very enjoyable. At last you sense that you are achieving something right.

"I don't mind, as long as I win. As long as I feel like I'm doing it the correct manner, and I think I am, as long as I am confident I am dedicating effort into being who I am and similar principles, then I'm not too fussed about the rest of it."

Vegas, meanwhile, needs to be conquered, and it is a circuit suited to the McLaren. The layout has characteristics with Canada and Baku: minimal aerodynamic grip, chilly conditions, and slippery surfaces. They are the sole pair of tracks in the current championship where McLaren have been unable to claim a single podium place, and the leader was cautious again about their chances this weekend. Still, his objective in the immediate future is simple: end the race in ahead of Piastri and the championship tally he needs will follow.

Friday Running Shows Mixed Outcomes for Championship Rivals

Charles Leclerc led the times in first practice on what was still a sandy and extremely slippery surface. The Williams racer was runner-up, with the Red Bull star fourth, the McLaren ace in P6, and Piastri in eighth. In the more representative evening session of FP2, the Briton was quickest from the Mercedes of the Italian rookie, with his teammate 14th; however, the practice was interrupted for almost all of the last third of track time to check a suspected unsecured drain cover at the penultimate corner.

This problem is treated with caution on a temporary track where, at the first Las Vegas GP staged in 2023, a loose manhole struck Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, heavily harming it and leading to the session to be aborted.

Mercedes Announce Ownership Transaction

The eight-time constructors' champions have revealed that their team principal Toto Wolff has sold a 15% stake in his investment firm, representing a 5% share in the team, to American billionaire George Kurtz. Kurtz is the CEO and founder of the cybersecurity company the tech giant. Wolff will remain as boss and could earn as much as £230m from the deal, with the Brackley-based outfit having been appraised at £4.57 billion, a record for an F1 team.