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Despite the hype around the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lando Norris is maintaining a level head regarding his prospects of securing his first drivers' championship.

The British driver currently has a 24-point lead over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by 49 points, with only up to 83 points up for grabs across the final three events. However, after pulling off a extraordinary comeback from 34 points behind his teammate after the Dutch Grand Prix in the summer, Norris is concentrating on performing with the clinical precision that lifted him to the lead of the standings.

"It can quickly go in the other direction once more as much as I hope it doesn't," he commented. "That's racing, as we all know. Sometimes you get lucky. Other times you end up unlucky. No matter what happens. There's really no point getting excited or thinking about it. I still do see it as a goal that remains distant."

Norris has discovered his best form at a critical juncture—having struggled with the car in the first part of the season—while Piastri has shed the disciplined, nearly perfect composure that had for so long made him seem to be a future title winner. Notably, Norris kept a impressive level of equanimity all along, asserting despite challenges—such as his withdrawal from the Dutch GP—that he would adhere to his gameplan and work each session with the identical relentless focus on specifics. It has paid off.

Meanwhile, McLaren have gone to no little effort to attempt to maintain a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has on occasion been something of torturous experience, especially at the Italian Grand Prix when the squad instructed Piastri to surrender second place to Norris after he had lost the spot due to a delayed tire change. Certain spectators did not take well to what was seen as McLaren unnecessarily manipulating their competitors.

Norris has claimed victory in the last two grands prix, in Mexico City and Brazil, and was booed on the podium at each, yet he remained unmoved. "When you're on top, a lot of individuals try to undermine you. They do not like seeing you succeeding. I see it as a positive sign," he said.

"It just makes me laugh. When I was on the winner's stage in Brazil, I really enjoyed it. The experience was very satisfying. You finally feel like you are achieving success.

"I don't mind, as long as I win. If I feel like I am competing the correct manner, and I think I am, as long as I am confident I am dedicating effort into remaining true to myself and similar principles, then I am not concerned about the rest of it."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, needs to be conquered, and it is a circuit suited to the British team. It shares characteristics with Montreal and Azerbaijan: low downforce, chilly conditions, and slippery surfaces. These are the sole pair of circuits this season where McLaren have failed to claim at least one top-three finish, and the leader was cautious again about their prospects this weekend. Yet, his task in the short term is simple: finish in front of Piastri and the championship tally he requires will come.

Practice Sees Mixed Outcomes for Title Contenders

Charles Leclerc topped the leaderboard in FP1 on what was remained a sandy and very low-grip surface. The Williams racer was second, with Verstappen in fourth, Norris in P6, and Piastri eighth. In the more representative evening session of FP2, the Briton was fastest ahead of the Mercedes of the Italian rookie, with Piastri down in fourteenth; though, the practice lost nearly the last third of running to inspect a suspected loose manhole cover at the penultimate corner.

The issue is treated with caution on a street circuit where, at the inaugural Las Vegas GP held in 2023, a loose drain cover struck the Ferrari, severely harming it and leading to the practice to be ended.

The German Team Confirm Ownership Sale

Mercedes have revealed that their team principal the Austrian executive has divested a 15% stake in his holding company, representing a 5% share in the team, to American billionaire the cybersecurity magnate. The investor is the chief executive and creator of the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. The team principal will remain as boss and may receive as much as £230 million from the sale, with the Brackley-based outfit having been valued at £4.57bn, a new high for an F1 team.