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Despite the hype around the Sin City Grand Prix, Lando Norris is keeping a calm demeanor regarding his chances of securing his first drivers' championship.

The British driver presently has a 24-point lead 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 extraordinary recovery from 34 points behind his teammate after the Zandvoort race in August, Norris is focused on executing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the top of the championship.

"It can quickly go in the other direction again as much as I don't want it to," he commented. "That's racing, you know. You can also have luck. You can also be unlucky. Whatever it may be. There's really no point getting excited or thinking about it. I continue to view it as a goal that's quite far away."

The 26-year-old has discovered his best form at a crucial juncture—after difficulties with the car in the first part of the campaign—at the same time that his teammate has lost the disciplined, almost perfect composure that previously made him seem to be a champion in waiting. Importantly, Norris maintained a remarkable level of composure throughout, insisting despite setbacks—like his retirement from the Zandvoort race—that he would stick to his strategy and approach each session with the same relentless attention to detail. It has paid off.

Meanwhile, McLaren have worked hard to try to maintain a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has at times been something of difficult experience, especially at Monza when the squad instructed Piastri to cede the runner-up spot to his teammate following he had lost the spot because of a slow pit stop. Certain spectators did not take well to what was considered the team needlessly manipulating their drivers.

Norris has won the previous pair of races, in Mexico City and Brazil, and was booed on the winner's rostrum at each, leaving him unmoved. "When you're on top, a lot of people want to undermine you. They don't want to see you winning. I consider it a good thing," he said.

"It makes me laugh. When I was on the podium in Brazil, I truly enjoyed it. It was very satisfying. At last you feel like you're doing something right.

"I don't mind, as long as I win. If I feel like I am competing the correct way, and I think that's the case, as long as I am confident I am dedicating hard work into being who I am and similar principles, then I'm not too fussed about the rest of it."

Las Vegas, on the other hand, must be conquered, and it is a circuit ideal for the British team. The layout has similarities with Canada and Baku: minimal aerodynamic grip, cool temperatures, and slippery surfaces. These are the sole pair of circuits in the current championship where McLaren have been unable to claim at least one top-three finish, and the leader was cautious again about their prospects this weekend. Still, his objective in the short term is straightforward: finish in ahead of his teammate and the points he needs will come.

Practice Shows Varied Results for Championship Contenders

The Ferrari driver topped the leaderboard in first practice on what was still a sandy and extremely low-grip surface. Alex Albon was second, with the Red Bull star fourth, the McLaren ace in P6, and the Australian eighth. In the more representative night running of second practice, Norris was fastest from the Silver Arrows of the Italian rookie, with Piastri down in fourteenth; however, the session was interrupted for nearly the final 20 minutes of track time to inspect a suspected unsecured drain cover at turn 17.

The issue is treated with caution on a temporary track where, at the first Nevada GP held in 2023, a dislodged drain cover smashed into the Ferrari, heavily damaging it and leading to the practice to be aborted.

The German Team Announce Stake Sale

Mercedes have revealed that their boss Toto Wolff has sold a 15% stake in his investment firm, representing a 5% share in the team, to US tycoon George Kurtz. Kurtz is the chief executive and creator of the digital protection firm the tech giant. Wolff will stay on as boss and could earn up to £230 million from the sale, with the Brackley-based outfit having been appraised at £4.57 billion, a new high for an F1 team.