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Amid all hype surrounding the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lando Norris is keeping a level head regarding his chances of securing his first world title.

The British driver currently has a two-dozen point advantage over teammate 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. But, after staging a remarkable recovery from a significant deficit his teammate after the Zandvoort race in the summer, Norris is focused on performing with the methodical approach that lifted him to the lead of the championship.

"Things can quickly go in the other direction again as much as I don't want it to," he stated. "That's racing, you know. You can get lucky. You can end up unlucky. No matter what happens. It's not worth becoming overjoyed or dwelling on it. I still view it as something that's quite distant."

The 26-year-old has discovered his best form at a critical moment—after difficulties with the vehicle in the opening half of the season—at the same time that his teammate has shed the disciplined, almost flawless composure that previously made him appear to be a future title winner. Notably, Norris kept a remarkable level of equanimity all along, insisting despite challenges—like his retirement from the Zandvoort race—that he would adhere to his gameplan and approach each session with the same relentless attention to detail. This approach has yielded results.

All the while, the team have worked hard to attempt to maintain a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has at times been something of difficult process, especially at Monza when the squad instructed Piastri to surrender second place to his teammate following he had fallen behind because of a slow pit stop. Certain spectators were unhappy with what was considered McLaren needlessly interfering with their competitors.

The championship leader has claimed victory in the last two grands prix, in Mexico City and Brazil, and was jeered on the winner's rostrum at each, leaving him unmoved. "When you're leading, a lot of individuals want to undermine you. They don't want to see you winning. I see it as a positive sign," he remarked.

"It makes me laugh. When I was on the podium in Interlagos, I really loved it. The experience was quite satisfying. At last you sense that you are achieving success.

"It doesn't bother me, provided that I win. As long as I feel like I am competing the right way, which I feel like I am, as long as I am confident I'm putting effort into being who I am and similar principles, then I am not concerned about the rest of it."

Vegas, meanwhile, must be conquered, and it is not a track ideal for the British team. It shares similarities with Canada and Baku: low downforce, cool temperatures, and low grip. These are the only two tracks this season where McLaren have failed to secure a single podium place, and Norris was cautious again about their chances in Nevada. Yet, his task in the short term is simple: finish in front of Piastri and the championship tally he needs will follow.

Practice Sees Mixed Outcomes for Title Contenders

Charles Leclerc led the leaderboard in first practice on what was still a sandy and extremely low-grip surface. The Williams racer was second, with the Red Bull star in fourth, the McLaren ace in P6, and the Australian in eighth. During the more representative evening session of FP2, Norris was fastest ahead of the Silver Arrows of the Italian rookie, with his teammate 14th; however, the session lost nearly the last third of running to check a suspected loose drain cover at the penultimate corner.

This problem is taken seriously on a temporary track where, at the first Nevada GP held in 2023, a dislodged manhole smashed into the Ferrari, heavily harming it and leading to the session to be aborted.

Mercedes Confirm Stake Transaction

The eight-time constructors' champions have confirmed that their boss Toto Wolff has sold a 15% stake in his holding company, equating to a five percent ownership in the team, to US tycoon the cybersecurity magnate. Kurtz is the chief executive and creator of the digital protection firm CrowdStrike. Wolff will stay on as team principal and could earn up to £230m from the sale, with the Brackley-based outfit having been appraised at £4.57bn, a new high for an F1 team.