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Amid all hype surrounding the Sin City Grand Prix, Lando Norris is keeping a level head regarding his chances of securing his first drivers' championship.

The British driver currently has a 24-point lead over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by 49 points, with only a maximum of eighty-three points available across the final three events. But, after staging a remarkable recovery from 34 points behind Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Norris is focused on performing with the clinical precision that lifted him to the lead of the standings.

"It can quickly turn the opposite way again as much as I don't want it to," he commented. "That's racing, as we all know. You can also have luck. You can also be unlucky. No matter what happens. There's really no point becoming overjoyed or dwelling on it. I continue to view it as a goal that's quite far away."

Norris has discovered his best form at a crucial juncture—after difficulties with the vehicle in the first part of the campaign—while Piastri has lost the controlled, almost flawless ease that previously made him seem to be a future title winner. Importantly, Norris maintained a remarkable level of composure all along, asserting even in the face of challenges—such as his retirement from the Zandvoort race—that he would adhere to his gameplan and approach each session with the same unwavering focus on specifics. This approach has paid off.

Meanwhile, McLaren have worked hard to attempt to maintain a level playing field for their two drivers, and it has at times been a rather difficult experience, most notably at Monza when the squad directed the Australian to cede the runner-up spot to his teammate following he had lost the spot due to a delayed tire change. Certain spectators did not take well to what was seen as McLaren needlessly interfering with their drivers.

The championship leader has claimed victory in the last two races, in Mexico and Brazil, and was jeered on the winner's rostrum at both, leaving him unfazed. "Once you are on top, many people try to bring you down. They don't like seeing you succeeding. I consider it a positive sign," he remarked.

"It amuses me. While standing on the winner's stage in Brazil, I really loved it. It was quite satisfying. You finally sense that you're doing something right.

"It doesn't bother me, provided that I win. If I feel like I am competing the right manner, and I think I am, so long as I am confident I am dedicating effort into being who I am and those kinds of things, then I'm not too fussed about the rest of it."

Vegas, on the other hand, must be mastered, and it is not a track ideal for the McLaren. The layout has similarities with Canada and Baku: minimal aerodynamic grip, chilly conditions, and slippery surfaces. These are the only two circuits this season where McLaren have been unable to secure at least one top-three finish, and Norris was cautious again about their chances this weekend. Still, his task in the immediate future is straightforward: end the race in ahead of Piastri and the points he needs will follow.

Friday Running Shows Mixed Results for Title Contenders

Charles Leclerc topped the times in first practice on what was remained a sandy and very slippery track. The Williams racer was second, with Verstappen fourth, the McLaren ace sixth, and Piastri eighth. In the more representative evening session of second practice, Norris was fastest ahead of the Mercedes of the Italian rookie, with his teammate 14th; though, the practice lost almost all of the final 20 minutes of running to check a suspected unsecured manhole cover at turn 17.

The issue is treated with caution on a temporary track where, at the inaugural Nevada GP held in 2023, a loose manhole smashed into Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, severely harming it and leading to the practice to be aborted.

The German Team Confirm Stake Transaction

Mercedes have revealed that their boss the Austrian executive has sold a 15% stake in his holding company, equating to a five percent ownership in the squad, to American billionaire George Kurtz. Kurtz is the CEO and founder of the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. The team principal will stay on as boss and could earn as much as £230m from the deal, with the Brackley-based outfit having been appraised at £4.57 billion, a record for an F1 team.