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Despite the excitement around the Las Vegas Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is maintaining a level head regarding his prospects of securing his maiden world title.

The British driver currently holds a two-dozen point advantage over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with only up to 83 points up for grabs across the remaining trio of races. But, after pulling off a remarkable comeback from 34 points behind his teammate following the Dutch Grand Prix in the summer, Norris is concentrating on performing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the top of the standings.

"It can easily turn in the other direction again as much as I don't want it to," he commented. "That's motorsport, you know. Sometimes you get lucky. Other times you end up unfortunate. No matter what happens. It's no point becoming overjoyed or dwelling on it. I still do see it as something that's quite far away."

Norris has discovered his peak performance at a critical juncture—after difficulties with the vehicle in the opening half of the campaign—while his teammate has shed the disciplined, nearly flawless ease that previously made him seem to be a champion in waiting. Notably, Norris kept a impressive level of composure throughout, insisting even in the face of setbacks—such as his retirement from the Dutch GP—that he would stick to his gameplan and approach every outing with the same unwavering focus on specifics. It has yielded results.

Meanwhile, McLaren have worked hard to try to maintain a fair competition for their two drivers, and it has at times been something of difficult process, most notably at Monza when the team instructed Piastri to cede second place to Norris following he had fallen behind because of a delayed tire change. Some fans did not take well to what was considered McLaren unnecessarily interfering with their drivers.

Norris has won the last two grands prix, in Mexico and São Paulo, and was jeered on the podium at both, leaving him unmoved. "Once you are leading, many people try to bring you down. They do not want to see you succeeding. I consider it a positive sign," he said.

"It makes me laugh. While standing on the podium in Interlagos, I truly loved it. The experience 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, which I feel like I am, as long as I feel like I am dedicating hard work into being who I am and those kinds of things, then I'm not too fussed about external opinions."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, needs to be conquered, and it is a circuit suited to the McLaren. The layout has similarities with Canada and Baku: low downforce, chilly conditions, and low grip. These are the only two tracks in the current championship where McLaren have been unable to secure at least one podium place, and Norris was cautious once more about their chances in Nevada. Yet, his task in the immediate future is simple: finish in ahead of his teammate and the championship tally he requires will follow.

Friday Running Sees Mixed Outcomes for Championship Rivals

The Ferrari driver led the times in first practice on what was remained a dusty and very low-grip track. The Williams racer was runner-up, with Verstappen fourth, Norris sixth, and Piastri in eighth. During the more indicative night running of second practice, the Briton was quickest ahead of the Silver Arrows of the Italian rookie, with Piastri 14th; however, the practice was interrupted for nearly the final 20 minutes of track time to check a suspected loose drain cover at turn 17.

This problem is taken seriously on a temporary track where, at the inaugural Nevada GP held in 2023, a dislodged drain cover struck the Ferrari, severely harming it and leading to the practice to be aborted.

The German Team Announce Ownership Transaction

The eight-time constructors' champions have revealed that their team principal Toto Wolff has sold a 15% stake in his holding company, equating to a 5% share in the team, to US tycoon 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 up to £230 million from the deal, with the Brackley-based outfit having been appraised at £4.57bn, a record for an F1 team.