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Despite all hype around the Las Vegas Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is maintaining a calm demeanor about his chances of claiming his first world title.

The British driver currently holds a 24-point lead over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by 49 points, with only a maximum of 83 points up for grabs across the remaining trio of events. However, after staging a remarkable recovery from a significant deficit his teammate following the Zandvoort race in the summer, Norris is focused on executing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the lead of the standings.

"It can easily turn in the other direction again as much as I hope it doesn't," he stated. "That's motorsport, as we all know. Sometimes you also have luck. Other times you end up unfortunate. 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 best form at a crucial moment—having struggled with the car in the opening half of the season—while his teammate has shed the disciplined, almost perfect composure that previously made him seem to be a future title winner. Importantly, Norris kept a remarkable level of composure throughout, insisting despite challenges—such as his withdrawal from the Dutch GP—that he would adhere to his gameplan and work every outing with the identical relentless focus on specifics. This approach has yielded results.

Meanwhile, McLaren have worked hard to attempt to maintain a level playing field for their two drivers, and it has at times been a rather difficult experience, most notably at Monza when the team instructed Piastri to cede the runner-up spot to his teammate after he had fallen behind due to a delayed tire change. Certain spectators did not take well to what was considered the team needlessly interfering with their competitors.

The championship leader has claimed victory in the last two races, in Mexico City and São Paulo, and was jeered on the winner's rostrum at each, leaving him unmoved. "When you're leading, a lot of people want to undermine you. They don't like seeing you succeeding. I see it as a good thing," he remarked.

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

"It doesn't bother me, provided that I come out on top. If I feel like I am competing the right way, and I think I am, as long as I am confident I'm putting effort into being who I am and those kinds of things, then I am not concerned with the rest of it."

Vegas, on the other hand, needs to 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. They are the sole pair of circuits in the current championship where McLaren have failed to secure a single podium place, and Norris was circumspect again about their chances this weekend. Yet, his task in the immediate future is straightforward: finish in ahead of his teammate and the points he requires will come.

Friday Running Shows Mixed Results for Championship Contenders

The Ferrari driver topped the leaderboard in first practice on what was remained a sandy and very slippery track. Alex Albon was runner-up, with Verstappen in fourth, Norris sixth, and Piastri eighth. In the more representative evening session of second practice, Norris was fastest ahead of the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, with Piastri down in fourteenth; however, the practice lost nearly the last third of track time to check a suspected loose 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 drain cover smashed into the Ferrari, heavily damaging it and leading to the practice to be aborted.

The German Team Confirm Ownership Sale

The eight-time constructors' champions have revealed that their team principal the Austrian executive has sold a 15% stake in his investment firm, representing a five percent ownership in the squad, to US tycoon the cybersecurity magnate. The investor is the chief executive and creator of the digital protection firm the tech giant. Wolff will stay on as boss and could earn as much as £230m from the sale, with Mercedes having been appraised at £4.57 billion, a record for an Formula 1 constructor.