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

The British driver currently has a 24-point advantage over teammate Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with just a maximum of 83 points available across the final three races. But, after staging a extraordinary comeback from a significant deficit his teammate after the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Norris is focused on executing with the clinical precision that propelled him to the top of the championship.

"It can easily go the opposite way once more as much as I hope it doesn't," he commented. "That's racing, as we all know. Sometimes you also have luck. Other times you end up unlucky. No matter what happens. It's no point getting excited or dwelling on it. I still do see it as a goal that remains distant."

The 26-year-old has discovered 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 lost the controlled, nearly perfect ease that previously made him seem to be a future title winner. Notably, Norris maintained a remarkable level of composure throughout, insisting even in the face of setbacks—like his retirement from the Dutch GP—that he would adhere to his strategy and work every outing with the same unwavering focus on specifics. It has paid off.

Meanwhile, the team have gone to no little effort to try to maintain a level playing field for their two drivers, and it has on occasion been something of torturous process, especially at Monza when the team directed the Australian to cede second place to Norris following he had lost the spot because of a delayed tire change. Certain spectators were unhappy with what was considered McLaren needlessly manipulating their competitors.

Norris has won the last two races, in Mexico and Brazil, and was jeered on the podium at each, yet he remained unmoved. "When you're on top, a lot of individuals try 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. When I was on the winner's stage in Interlagos, I really loved it. It was very satisfying. You finally sense that you are achieving success.

"It doesn't bother me, as long as I win. If I believe I'm doing it the right manner, and I think I am, so 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, on the other hand, needs to be mastered, and it is a circuit suited to the McLaren. The layout has similarities with Montreal and Azerbaijan: minimal aerodynamic grip, cool temperatures, and slippery surfaces. These are the sole pair of circuits in the current championship where McLaren have been unable to claim at least one podium place, and Norris was cautious again about their chances in Nevada. Yet, his objective in the immediate future is straightforward: finish in front of his teammate and the championship tally he needs will come.

Practice Sees Mixed Results for Title Contenders

Charles Leclerc led the times in FP1 on what was still a dusty and very slippery track. Alex Albon was second, with the Red Bull star fourth, Norris sixth, and the Australian in eighth. During the more indicative night running of second practice, Norris was fastest from the Mercedes of the Italian rookie, with his teammate 14th; though, the practice was interrupted for almost all of the final 20 minutes of running to inspect a reported loose manhole cover at turn 17.

This problem is taken seriously on a street circuit where, at the first Nevada GP staged in 2023, a loose drain cover smashed into Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, severely damaging it and leading to the session to be ended.

The German Team Announce Ownership Transaction

The eight-time constructors' champions have revealed that their team principal Toto Wolff has sold a 15% stake in his investment firm, representing a 5% share in the squad, to American billionaire the cybersecurity magnate. Kurtz is the CEO and founder of the digital protection firm CrowdStrike. Wolff will stay on as boss and could earn as much as £230m from the deal, with Mercedes having been appraised at £4.57 billion, a new high for an Formula 1 constructor.