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Amid all hype surrounding the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lando Norris is keeping a level head regarding his prospects of claiming his first world title.

Norris currently holds a 24-point lead over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with only a maximum of eighty-three points up for grabs across the final three races. But, after pulling off a remarkable recovery from 34 points behind Piastri following the Dutch Grand Prix in the summer, Norris is concentrating on performing with the clinical precision that propelled him to the top of the championship.

"It can easily turn in the other direction once more even though I hope it doesn't," he stated. "That's racing, you know. Sometimes you also have luck. Other times you also be unlucky. No matter what happens. It's not worth becoming overjoyed or thinking about it. I continue to do see it as a goal that's quite distant."

Norris has found his best form at a critical moment—having struggled with the car in the first part of the season—at the same time that Piastri has lost the disciplined, nearly flawless composure that previously made him appear to be a champion in waiting. Notably, Norris maintained a remarkable level of equanimity throughout, insisting even in the face of setbacks—such as his retirement from the Dutch GP—that he would stick to his strategy and approach every outing with the same relentless attention to detail. It has yielded results.

All the while, McLaren have gone to no little effort to try to preserve a fair competition for their two drivers, and it has at times been something of difficult experience, most notably at Monza when the squad instructed the Australian to cede the runner-up spot to his teammate following he had fallen behind because of a slow pit stop. Certain spectators were unhappy with what was seen as McLaren needlessly manipulating their drivers.

Norris has claimed victory in the last two grands prix, in Mexico City and Brazil, and was jeered on the podium at both, leaving him unfazed. "When you're leading, a lot of individuals want to bring you down. They don't want to see you winning. I see it as a positive sign," he said.

"It just amuses me. While standing on the winner's stage in Interlagos, I really enjoyed it. It was very enjoyable. You finally feel like you are achieving success.

"It doesn't bother me, as long as I come out on top. As long as I feel like I'm doing it the right way, and I think I am, as long as I am confident I am dedicating hard work into remaining true to myself and those kinds of things, then I am not concerned about the rest of it."

Las Vegas, on the other hand, must be mastered, and it is not a track suited to the British team. The layout has characteristics with Canada and Baku: minimal aerodynamic grip, chilly conditions, and slippery surfaces. These are the only two circuits in the current championship where the papaya squad have failed to claim at least one top-three finish, and the leader was circumspect once more about their chances in Nevada. Still, his objective in the immediate future is straightforward: end the race in ahead of his teammate and the points he needs will follow.

Practice Sees Mixed Results for Title Rivals

The Ferrari driver led the times in FP1 on what was still a sandy and very low-grip surface. The Williams racer was second, with the Red Bull star in fourth, the McLaren ace sixth, and the Australian in eighth. During the more indicative night running of FP2, Norris was quickest from the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, with Piastri 14th; however, the practice lost almost all of the final 20 minutes of track time to inspect a reported loose drain cover at turn 17.

This problem is treated with caution on a street circuit where, at the inaugural Las Vegas GP staged in 2023, a dislodged manhole smashed into the Ferrari, severely damaging it and causing the practice to be ended.

The German Team Announce Stake Sale

The eight-time constructors' champions 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 American billionaire the cybersecurity magnate. The investor is the CEO and founder of the cybersecurity company the tech giant. Wolff will stay on as team principal and could earn up to £230m from the sale, with the Brackley-based outfit having been valued at £4.57 billion, a new high for an Formula 1 constructor.