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Amid the excitement surrounding the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lando Norris is maintaining a calm demeanor regarding his chances of securing his maiden world title.

The British driver currently holds a 24-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by 49 points, with just up to 83 points up for grabs across the final three races. But, after pulling off a extraordinary recovery from a significant deficit Piastri following the Dutch Grand Prix in the summer, Norris is concentrating on performing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the lead of the standings.

"It can easily go the opposite way once more even though I hope it doesn't," he commented. "That's racing, you know. You can get lucky. You can also be unlucky. No matter what happens. There's really no point becoming overjoyed or dwelling on it. I still do see it as a goal that remains far away."

The 26-year-old has found his best form at a critical moment—after difficulties with the vehicle in the opening half of the campaign—at the same time that Piastri has shed the controlled, almost flawless ease that previously made him appear to be a future title winner. Importantly, Norris maintained a remarkable level of composure all along, insisting despite setbacks—like his withdrawal from the Dutch GP—that he would stick to his strategy and work each session with the same relentless attention to detail. It has paid off.

Meanwhile, the team have worked hard to try to maintain a fair competition for their two drivers, and it has on occasion been a rather torturous process, most notably at the Italian Grand Prix when the team directed the Australian to surrender the runner-up spot to Norris following he had lost the spot because of a delayed tire change. Some fans did not take well to what was seen as the team unnecessarily interfering with their competitors.

Norris has claimed victory in the previous pair of grands prix, in Mexico and São Paulo, and was jeered on the winner's rostrum at each, yet he remained unfazed. "Once you are on top, many individuals try to bring you down. They don't like seeing you succeeding. I see it as a positive sign," he said.

"It amuses me. When I was on the winner's stage in Interlagos, I truly enjoyed it. The experience was very satisfying. At last you feel like you're doing something right.

"It doesn't bother me, provided that I win. As long as I believe I am competing the correct manner, which I feel like that's the case, as long as I feel like I am dedicating effort into being who I am and those kinds of things, then I am not concerned about the rest of it."

Vegas, meanwhile, must be conquered, and it is a circuit suited to the McLaren. It shares similarities with Canada and Azerbaijan: minimal aerodynamic grip, chilly conditions, and low grip. They are the only two circuits this season where McLaren have been unable to secure a single top-three finish, and Norris was cautious once more about their chances in Nevada. Yet, his objective in the immediate future is simple: end the race in ahead of Piastri and the championship tally he requires will come.

Practice Shows Varied Results for Title Contenders

Charles Leclerc led the times in FP1 on what was still a dusty and extremely low-grip track. Alex Albon was runner-up, with Verstappen fourth, the McLaren ace in P6, and the Australian in eighth. During the more representative evening session of second practice, Norris was quickest ahead of the Silver Arrows of the Italian rookie, with his teammate down in fourteenth; however, the session lost nearly the last third of running to inspect 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 staged in 2023, a dislodged manhole smashed into the Ferrari, heavily harming it and causing the practice to be aborted.

The German Team Confirm Stake Sale

Mercedes have revealed that their team principal the Austrian executive has sold a fifteen percent share in his investment firm, representing a five percent ownership in the team, to US tycoon George Kurtz. Kurtz is the chief executive and creator of the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. The team principal will remain as boss and may receive up to £230m from the deal, with the Brackley-based outfit having been appraised at £4.57bn, a new high for an F1 team.