🔗 Share this article

Despite the hype around the Sin City Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is keeping a calm demeanor regarding his prospects of claiming his maiden world title.

The British driver currently holds a two-dozen point advantage over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with just a maximum of eighty-three points up for grabs across the remaining trio of races. But, after staging a remarkable comeback from a significant deficit Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix in the summer, Norris is focused on executing with the clinical precision that propelled him to the top of the standings.

"It can quickly go in the other direction once more as much as I don't want it to," he commented. "That's racing, you know. Sometimes you get lucky. You can end up unlucky. No matter what happens. There's really not worth becoming overjoyed or dwelling on it. I still do see it as a goal that's quite far away."

The 26-year-old has found his best form at a critical juncture—after difficulties with the vehicle in the first part of the campaign—while his teammate has lost the controlled, almost flawless composure that had for so long made him appear to be a champion in waiting. Notably, Norris maintained a remarkable level of equanimity all along, asserting even in the face of setbacks—like his retirement from the Dutch GP—that he would stick to his strategy and work each session with the identical unwavering focus on specifics. It has paid off.

All the while, McLaren have gone to no little effort to try to preserve a level playing field for their pair of racers, and it has on occasion been a rather difficult experience, most notably at the Italian Grand Prix when the team directed the Australian to cede second place to Norris following he had fallen behind due to a delayed tire change. Certain spectators were unhappy with what was seen as the team needlessly interfering with their drivers.

Norris has claimed victory in the last two races, in Mexico City and Brazil, and was jeered on the winner's rostrum at both, yet he remained unmoved. "When you're leading, a lot of people want to undermine you. They do not like seeing you winning. I see it as a good thing," he said.

"It just makes me laugh. While standing on the podium in Brazil, I really loved it. The experience was very satisfying. You finally feel like you're doing success.

"It doesn't bother me, provided that I come out on top. As long as I believe I'm doing it the right way, and I think that's the case, as long as I feel like I'm putting hard work into remaining true to myself and those kinds of things, then I'm not too fussed about external opinions."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, needs to be mastered, and it is a circuit ideal for the British team. It shares similarities with Canada and Baku: low downforce, cool temperatures, and slippery surfaces. They are the sole pair of circuits this season where the papaya squad have failed to claim at least one podium place, and the leader was cautious again about their prospects this weekend. Still, his task in the immediate future is simple: finish in ahead of Piastri and the points he needs will come.

Practice Shows Mixed Outcomes for Title Rivals

Charles Leclerc led the times in FP1 on what was remained a sandy and extremely slippery surface. Alex Albon was second, with Verstappen in fourth, Norris in P6, and Piastri eighth. During the more representative night running of FP2, the Briton was fastest ahead of the Silver Arrows of the Italian rookie, with Piastri 14th; however, the practice was interrupted for nearly the last third of track time to inspect a suspected loose manhole cover at turn 17.

The issue is treated with caution on a street circuit where, at the first Las Vegas GP held in 2023, a dislodged drain cover smashed into the Ferrari, heavily damaging it and causing the practice to be ended.

The German Team Confirm Ownership Sale

Mercedes have revealed that their team principal Toto Wolff has sold a fifteen percent share in his holding company, representing a 5% share in the squad, to American billionaire the cybersecurity magnate. Kurtz is the CEO and founder of the digital protection firm the tech giant. The team principal will stay on as team principal and could earn as much as £230 million from the sale, with Mercedes having been valued at £4.57 billion, a record for an Formula 1 constructor.