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Despite all excitement surrounding the Las Vegas Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is maintaining a level head about his chances of securing his first drivers' championship.

The British driver presently has a two-dozen point advantage over teammate Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with just a maximum of eighty-three points up for grabs across the final three races. However, after pulling off a remarkable comeback from 34 points behind Piastri after the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Norris is concentrating on performing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the lead of the standings.

"It can quickly go the opposite way again even though I hope it doesn't," he commented. "That's motorsport, as we all know. Sometimes you get lucky. You can end up unlucky. Whatever it may be. It's not worth getting excited or dwelling on it. I still do see it as something that's quite distant."

Norris has found his best form at a crucial moment—having struggled with the vehicle in the first part of the campaign—while Piastri has lost the disciplined, almost flawless composure that previously made him seem to be a champion in waiting. Importantly, Norris kept a impressive level of composure throughout, insisting even in the face of challenges—such as his withdrawal from the Zandvoort race—that he would stick to his strategy and approach every outing with the same relentless attention to detail. This approach has paid off.

Meanwhile, the team have worked hard to try to preserve a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has on occasion been something of torturous process, especially at Monza when the squad directed Piastri to cede second place to his teammate after he had fallen behind because of a delayed tire change. Some fans were unhappy with what was seen as McLaren unnecessarily interfering with their competitors.

The championship leader has claimed victory in the previous pair of races, in Mexico and São Paulo, and was jeered on the winner's rostrum at both, leaving him unmoved. "When you're leading, a lot of individuals want to undermine you. They don't want to see you succeeding. I see it as a good thing," he remarked.

"It just makes me laugh. While standing on the winner's stage in Brazil, I truly enjoyed it. It was quite enjoyable. At last you sense that you're doing something right.

"I don't mind, provided that I win. If I believe I'm doing it the right manner, and I think I am, so long as I feel like I am dedicating effort into remaining true to myself and those kinds of things, then I'm not too fussed about external opinions."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, must be mastered, and it is a circuit ideal for the McLaren. It shares similarities with Canada and Baku: 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 top-three finish, and Norris was cautious once more about their chances this weekend. Still, his task in the short term is simple: end the race in ahead of Piastri and the points he needs will follow.

Practice Shows Mixed Outcomes for Championship Contenders

The Ferrari driver led the times in FP1 on what was still a sandy and extremely slippery track. Alex Albon was runner-up, with the Red Bull star fourth, Norris sixth, and Piastri in eighth. In the more indicative evening session of FP2, the Briton was quickest ahead of the Silver Arrows of the Italian rookie, with his teammate 14th; however, the session lost nearly the last third of running to inspect a reported loose drain cover at the penultimate corner.

The issue is treated with caution on a temporary track where, at the first Las Vegas GP held in 2023, a loose manhole smashed into Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, heavily damaging it and causing the practice to be aborted.

The German Team Announce Ownership Sale

The eight-time constructors' champions have revealed that their team principal the Austrian executive 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 chief executive and creator of the digital protection firm CrowdStrike. Wolff will remain as boss and could earn up to £230m from the sale, with Mercedes having been valued at £4.57 billion, a new high for an F1 team.