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Despite all hype around the Sin City Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is keeping a calm demeanor about his chances of securing his first world title.

The British driver currently has a 24-point advantage over teammate Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with only a maximum of eighty-three points available across the final three events. But, after pulling off a remarkable recovery from 34 points behind his teammate following the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Norris is focused on executing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the lead of the championship.

"Things can quickly turn in the other direction once more even though I don't want it to," he stated. "That's motorsport, as we all know. Sometimes you get lucky. Other times you also be unlucky. No matter what happens. There's really no point becoming overjoyed or thinking about it. I continue to view it as a goal that remains distant."

Norris has found his peak performance at a crucial moment—having struggled with the vehicle in the opening half of the campaign—at the same time that Piastri has lost the disciplined, almost perfect ease that previously made him seem to be a champion in waiting. Notably, Norris kept a remarkable level of equanimity all along, asserting despite challenges—such as his retirement from the Zandvoort race—that he would stick to his gameplan and approach each session with the identical relentless focus on specifics. It has yielded results.

All the while, McLaren have worked hard to try to maintain a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has on occasion been something of torturous process, especially at the Italian Grand Prix when the squad instructed Piastri to cede the runner-up spot to Norris after he had lost the spot due to a slow pit stop. Some fans did not take well to what was seen as McLaren needlessly interfering with their competitors.

Norris has claimed victory in the last two races, in Mexico City and São Paulo, and was booed on the winner's rostrum at each, leaving him unfazed. "Once you are on top, a lot of individuals want to undermine you. They do not want to see you succeeding. I see it as a positive sign," he said.

"It just makes me laugh. While standing on the winner's stage in Brazil, I really enjoyed it. It was very enjoyable. You finally sense that you are achieving success.

"I don't mind, as long as I come out on top. As long as I believe I'm doing it the right way, and I think I am, as long as I am confident I am dedicating hard work into being who I am and those kinds of things, then I'm not too fussed about the rest of it."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, needs to be conquered, and it is a circuit ideal for the McLaren. The layout has similarities with Canada and Azerbaijan: minimal aerodynamic grip, cool temperatures, and slippery surfaces. These are the sole pair of tracks in the current championship where McLaren have failed to secure at least one top-three finish, and Norris was cautious once more about their prospects in Nevada. Still, his task in the short term is simple: end the race in ahead of his teammate and the championship tally he needs will follow.

Practice Shows Varied Outcomes for Title Rivals

The Ferrari driver led the times in FP1 on what was still a dusty and extremely slippery track. Alex Albon was second, with Verstappen fourth, Norris in P6, and the Australian in eighth. During the more representative evening session of FP2, the Briton was fastest ahead of the Silver Arrows of the Italian rookie, with his teammate 14th; however, the session was interrupted for nearly the last third of track time to inspect a reported unsecured drain cover at turn 17.

This problem is taken seriously on a temporary track where, at the inaugural Nevada GP held in 2023, a dislodged manhole smashed into the Ferrari, heavily harming it and causing the practice to be aborted.

Mercedes Announce Ownership Sale

The eight-time constructors' champions have confirmed that their team principal the Austrian executive has divested a 15% stake in his investment firm, representing a five percent ownership in the team, to US tycoon 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 £230 million from the deal, with Mercedes having been valued at £4.57 billion, a record for an F1 team.