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Amid the hype around the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lando Norris is keeping a calm demeanor about his chances of claiming his maiden world title.

The British driver presently has a two-dozen point advantage over teammate Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by 49 points, with just up to eighty-three points available across the final three races. But, after pulling off a extraordinary comeback from a significant deficit Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Norris is concentrating on executing with the clinical precision that lifted him to the top of the standings.

"Things can quickly go the opposite way once more even though I don't want it to," he commented. "That's racing, as we all know. You can get lucky. 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's quite far away."

Norris has discovered his peak performance at a critical juncture—after difficulties with the vehicle in the opening half of the season—at the same time that his teammate has lost the controlled, almost flawless composure that previously made him seem to be a champion in waiting. Importantly, Norris maintained a impressive level of equanimity throughout, insisting even in the face of setbacks—such as his retirement from the Zandvoort race—that he would stick to his gameplan and work each session with the same unwavering attention to detail. It has paid off.

Meanwhile, the team have worked hard to attempt to maintain a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has at times been a rather torturous experience, especially at the Italian Grand Prix when the squad instructed the Australian to cede second place to his teammate after he had lost the spot because of a slow pit stop. Certain spectators did not take well to what was seen as the team needlessly manipulating their competitors.

Norris has won the previous pair of races, in Mexico City and São Paulo, and was jeered on the winner's rostrum at each, leaving him unmoved. "When you're leading, many individuals try to bring you down. They don't like seeing you winning. I see it as a positive sign," he said.

"It just makes me laugh. When I was on the winner's stage in Brazil, I truly loved it. The experience was very enjoyable. At last you feel like you're doing something right.

"It doesn't bother me, provided that I come out on top. As long as I believe I am competing the correct way, which I feel like that's the case, so long as I am confident I am dedicating hard work into remaining true to myself and similar principles, then I am not concerned about external opinions."

Vegas, meanwhile, must be mastered, and it is a circuit suited to the McLaren. The layout has similarities with Canada and Baku: minimal aerodynamic grip, chilly conditions, and slippery surfaces. These are the only two circuits in the current championship where McLaren have failed to claim at least one top-three finish, and the leader was circumspect again about their prospects in Nevada. Still, his task in the immediate future is simple: finish in front of Piastri and the championship tally he needs will come.

Practice Sees Varied Results for Championship Rivals

Charles Leclerc led the times in first practice on what was remained a sandy and very slippery surface. The Williams racer was runner-up, with Verstappen fourth, the McLaren ace sixth, and Piastri in eighth. During the more indicative evening session of second practice, Norris was fastest from the Silver Arrows of the Italian rookie, with his teammate down in fourteenth; however, the practice lost almost all of the last third of running to check a suspected loose drain cover at turn 17.

This problem is treated with caution on a temporary track where, at the inaugural Nevada GP staged in 2023, a dislodged manhole struck Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, heavily damaging it and causing the practice to be ended.

The German Team Announce Ownership Transaction

The eight-time constructors' champions have revealed that their boss Toto Wolff has sold a 15% stake in his investment firm, representing a five percent ownership in the team, to US tycoon the cybersecurity magnate. Kurtz is the chief executive and creator of the cybersecurity company the tech giant. Wolff will stay on as team principal and may receive as much as £230m from the deal, with Mercedes having been valued at £4.57 billion, a record for an Formula 1 constructor.