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

Norris presently has a 24-point lead over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with only up to eighty-three points up for grabs across the final three events. But, after staging a extraordinary recovery from a significant deficit Piastri after the Zandvoort race in the summer, Norris is focused on performing with the clinical precision that propelled him to the lead of the standings.

"Things can easily turn in the other direction again even though I hope it doesn't," he commented. "That's motorsport, you know. Sometimes you also have luck. Other times you also be unfortunate. Whatever it may be. There's really no point getting excited or thinking about it. I still view it as a goal that's quite distant."

The 26-year-old has found his peak performance at a critical juncture—after difficulties with the vehicle in the opening half of the season—while Piastri has shed the disciplined, nearly perfect composure that previously made him appear to be a champion in waiting. Notably, Norris maintained a remarkable level of equanimity throughout, asserting despite setbacks—such as his withdrawal from the Dutch GP—that he would stick to his gameplan and approach every outing with the same unwavering focus on specifics. This approach has yielded results.

All the while, McLaren have worked hard to try to preserve a level playing field for their pair of racers, and it has on occasion been something of torturous process, especially at Monza when the squad directed the Australian to surrender the runner-up spot to Norris following he had lost the spot due to a delayed tire change. Certain spectators were unhappy with what was considered McLaren needlessly interfering with their drivers.

Norris has won the previous pair of races, in Mexico City and Brazil, and was jeered on the podium at each, yet he remained unfazed. "Once you are on top, many people try to undermine you. They do not want to see you succeeding. I consider it a good thing," he remarked.

"It just amuses me. When I was on the podium in Interlagos, I truly enjoyed it. It was quite satisfying. You finally sense that you are achieving something right.

"It doesn't bother me, provided that I come out on top. As long as I feel like I'm doing it the right way, and I think that's the case, as long as I feel like I am dedicating effort into being who I am and those kinds of things, then I am not concerned with external opinions."

Las Vegas, on the other hand, needs to be mastered, and it is a circuit suited to the British team. The layout has characteristics with Canada and Azerbaijan: low downforce, chilly conditions, and slippery surfaces. These are the sole pair of circuits in the current championship where McLaren have failed to claim a single podium place, and the leader was circumspect again about their chances in Nevada. Still, his objective in the immediate future is straightforward: finish in front of Piastri and the championship tally he needs will come.

Practice Shows Varied Outcomes for Championship Contenders

Charles Leclerc led the leaderboard in first practice on what was still a sandy and very low-grip surface. Alex Albon was second, with the Red Bull star fourth, the McLaren ace in P6, and Piastri in eighth. In the more indicative night running of FP2, the Briton was quickest from the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, with his teammate 14th; however, the practice was interrupted for almost all of the last third of track time to inspect a reported loose drain cover at turn 17.

The issue is treated with caution on a temporary track where, at the inaugural Nevada GP held in 2023, a loose manhole smashed into the Ferrari, severely harming it and causing the practice to be ended.

The German Team Announce Ownership Sale

The eight-time constructors' champions have revealed that their team principal 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. Wolff will remain as boss and may receive as much as £230m from the sale, with the Brackley-based outfit having been appraised at £4.57 billion, a record for an Formula 1 constructor.