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Amid all excitement surrounding the Las Vegas Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is keeping a calm demeanor about his prospects of securing his maiden drivers' championship.

The British driver presently holds a 24-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by 49 points, with only a maximum of eighty-three points available across the remaining trio of races. However, after pulling off a extraordinary recovery from 34 points behind Piastri following the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Norris is concentrating on performing with the clinical precision that lifted him to the top of the standings.

"It can quickly go in the other direction again 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. There's really no point getting excited or dwelling on it. I still do see it as something that remains far away."

Norris has found his best form at a critical juncture—after difficulties with the car in the opening half of the season—at the same time that his teammate has shed the disciplined, nearly perfect composure that had for so long made him seem to be a champion in waiting. Notably, Norris kept a impressive level of equanimity all along, insisting despite setbacks—such as his withdrawal from the Zandvoort race—that he would stick to his gameplan and work every outing with the same relentless focus on specifics. It has paid off.

All the while, McLaren have gone to no little effort to try to maintain a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has on occasion been a rather torturous experience, especially at Monza when the squad directed Piastri to cede the runner-up spot to Norris following he had fallen behind because of a delayed tire change. Certain spectators did not take well to what was considered the team needlessly interfering with their competitors.

The championship leader has claimed victory in the last two races, in Mexico and Brazil, and was jeered on the winner's rostrum at each, yet he remained unfazed. "Once you are leading, a lot of individuals try to undermine you. They don't like seeing you succeeding. I consider it a good thing," he remarked.

"It amuses me. When I was on the winner's stage in Interlagos, I really enjoyed it. The experience was quite enjoyable. At last you feel like you are achieving success.

"It doesn't bother me, as long as I win. As long as I feel like I am competing the right way, and I think I am, as long as I feel like I'm putting hard work into being who I am and those kinds of things, then I'm not too fussed about external opinions."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, must be conquered, and it is a circuit suited to the British team. It shares characteristics with Canada and Azerbaijan: minimal aerodynamic grip, chilly conditions, and slippery surfaces. They are the only two circuits in the current championship where McLaren have been unable to secure a single podium place, and Norris was circumspect once more about their chances in Nevada. Yet, his objective in the immediate future is straightforward: end the race in ahead of his teammate and the championship tally he requires will come.

Friday Running Shows Varied Outcomes for Championship Rivals

Charles Leclerc led the leaderboard in first practice on what was still a sandy and very slippery surface. Alex Albon was second, with Verstappen fourth, the McLaren ace sixth, and Piastri in eighth. During the more representative night running of second practice, Norris was quickest ahead of the Silver Arrows of Kimi Antonelli, with Piastri down in fourteenth; though, the session was interrupted for nearly the last third of track time to check a reported loose manhole cover at turn 17.

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

The German Team Confirm Ownership Sale

The eight-time constructors' champions have revealed that their team principal Toto Wolff has divested a 15% stake in his holding company, representing a five percent ownership in the squad, to American billionaire George Kurtz. The investor is the chief executive and creator of the cybersecurity company the tech giant. The team principal will remain as team principal and could earn up to £230m from the sale, with Mercedes having been valued at £4.57bn, a record for an Formula 1 constructor.