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Amid all hype around the Sin City Grand Prix, Lando Norris is maintaining a level head regarding his chances of securing his maiden world title.

The British driver presently has a two-dozen point advantage over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by 49 points, with only a maximum of eighty-three points up for grabs across the final three races. However, after pulling off a extraordinary recovery from a significant deficit Piastri after the Zandvoort race in August, Norris is focused on performing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the top of the championship.

"Things can quickly turn the opposite way once more even though I hope it doesn't," he stated. "That's motorsport, you know. You can also have luck. You can end up unfortunate. Whatever it may be. It's no point becoming overjoyed or dwelling on it. I still do see it as a goal that remains distant."

Norris has found his best form at a critical juncture—having struggled with the vehicle in the first part of the season—while his teammate has lost the disciplined, nearly perfect ease that previously made him appear to be a champion in waiting. Notably, Norris maintained a impressive level of equanimity all along, asserting even in the face of setbacks—such as his withdrawal from the Dutch GP—that he would adhere to his strategy and approach every outing with the identical unwavering attention to detail. It has yielded results.

All the while, McLaren have gone to no little effort to attempt to maintain a fair competition for their two drivers, and it has on occasion been a rather difficult experience, most notably at the Italian Grand Prix when the squad directed Piastri to cede second place to his teammate following he had fallen behind because of a slow pit stop. Certain spectators did not take well to what was seen as McLaren needlessly manipulating their drivers.

The championship leader has claimed victory in the previous pair of races, in Mexico and São Paulo, and was jeered on the podium at each, leaving him unmoved. "Once you are on top, many individuals want to undermine you. They do not like seeing you succeeding. I consider it a good thing," he said.

"It makes me laugh. While standing on the podium in Brazil, I truly loved it. The experience was quite enjoyable. You finally feel like you're doing something right.

"It doesn't bother me, provided that I come out on top. If I feel like I am competing the right way, and I think I am, so long as I feel like I am dedicating hard work into being who I am and similar principles, then I am not concerned with the rest of it."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, needs to be mastered, and it is a circuit suited to the British team. The layout has characteristics with Canada and Azerbaijan: minimal aerodynamic grip, cool temperatures, and slippery surfaces. They are the only two circuits in the current championship where McLaren have failed to secure a single podium place, and the leader was circumspect again about their prospects in Nevada. Yet, his task in the immediate future is straightforward: end the race in ahead of his teammate and the points he requires will follow.

Practice Sees Mixed Results for Championship Contenders

The Ferrari driver led the times in first practice on what was still a dusty and extremely low-grip surface. Alex Albon was second, with Verstappen in fourth, Norris in P6, and Piastri in eighth. In the more representative night running of FP2, Norris was quickest from the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, with Piastri down in fourteenth; though, the session lost nearly the final 20 minutes of running to inspect a suspected unsecured drain cover at the penultimate corner.

The issue is treated with caution on a temporary track where, at the inaugural Nevada GP staged in 2023, a loose drain cover smashed into Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, severely damaging it and leading to the session to be ended.

Mercedes Confirm Ownership Transaction

Mercedes have revealed that their team principal the Austrian executive has sold a 15% stake in his holding company, representing a five percent ownership in the squad, to US tycoon George Kurtz. Kurtz is the CEO and founder of the digital protection firm the tech giant. The team principal will stay on as boss and may receive up to £230 million from the sale, with the Brackley-based outfit having been valued at £4.57bn, a record for an Formula 1 constructor.