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

The British driver presently holds a 24-point lead over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with only a maximum of 83 points up for grabs across the final three races. But, after pulling off a extraordinary comeback from 34 points behind Piastri following the Zandvoort race in the summer, Norris is focused on executing with the methodical approach that lifted him to the lead of the championship.

"It can easily go in the other direction once more even though I hope it doesn't," he stated. "That's motorsport, as we all know. You can also have luck. Other times you also be unfortunate. No matter what happens. It's not worth becoming overjoyed or thinking about it. I still do see it as something that's quite distant."

The 26-year-old has found his peak performance at a crucial juncture—having struggled with the vehicle in the first part of the season—at the same time that his teammate has shed the disciplined, almost flawless composure that had for so long made him appear to be a champion in waiting. Notably, Norris maintained a impressive level of composure throughout, asserting even in the face of setbacks—like his retirement from the Zandvoort race—that he would stick to his strategy and work each session with the identical unwavering attention to detail. This approach has paid off.

Meanwhile, the team have worked hard to attempt to preserve a fair competition for their two drivers, and it has on occasion been something of torturous experience, especially at Monza when the team directed Piastri to cede second place to Norris following he had fallen behind due to a delayed tire change. Some fans did not take well to what was seen as the team unnecessarily interfering with their competitors.

Norris has won the previous pair of races, in Mexico City and Brazil, and was booed on the podium at both, leaving him unmoved. "When you're on top, many people want to bring you down. They don't like seeing you succeeding. I consider it a positive sign," he said.

"It just makes me laugh. When I was on the winner's stage in Interlagos, I truly loved it. It was quite satisfying. You finally feel like you're doing something right.

"I don't mind, as long as I win. As long as I believe I'm doing it the correct manner, which I feel like I am, so long as I am confident I am dedicating hard work into remaining true to myself and similar principles, then I am not concerned about the rest of it."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, needs to be mastered, and it is a circuit ideal for the McLaren. The layout has similarities with Montreal and Baku: low downforce, chilly conditions, and low grip. They are the only two circuits this season where the papaya squad have been unable to secure a single podium place, and the leader was circumspect again about their chances this weekend. Yet, his objective in the immediate future is simple: finish in ahead of Piastri and the championship tally he requires will follow.

Friday Running Shows Varied Results for Title Contenders

Charles Leclerc topped the leaderboard in first practice on what was still a dusty and very low-grip surface. Alex Albon was second, with the Red Bull star in fourth, Norris in P6, and Piastri in eighth. In the more representative evening session of second practice, the Briton was fastest from the Mercedes of the Italian rookie, with Piastri down in fourteenth; however, the practice lost nearly the last third of running to inspect a suspected loose manhole cover at turn 17.

The issue is taken seriously on a street circuit where, at the first Nevada GP held in 2023, a loose manhole struck Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, heavily damaging it and leading to the session to be ended.

The German Team Confirm Stake Sale

Mercedes 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 American billionaire George Kurtz. The investor is the chief executive and creator of the digital protection firm CrowdStrike. Wolff will remain as boss and may receive up to £230m from the deal, with Mercedes having been appraised at £4.57bn, a new high for an F1 team.