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Despite the excitement surrounding the Sin City Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is maintaining a calm demeanor about his prospects of claiming his first world title.

Norris presently holds a two-dozen point advantage over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by 49 points, with just up to 83 points available across the remaining trio of events. But, after pulling off a remarkable comeback from a significant deficit Piastri after the Zandvoort race in August, Norris is focused on performing with the clinical precision that lifted him to the top of the championship.

"Things can easily go the opposite way again as much as I hope it doesn't," he commented. "That's racing, you know. You can get lucky. You can end up unlucky. No matter what happens. There's really no point becoming overjoyed or thinking about it. I still view it as something that remains distant."

The 26-year-old has found his peak performance at a crucial juncture—after difficulties with the car in the first part of the campaign—at the same time that Piastri has lost the controlled, nearly perfect ease that previously made him appear to be a champion in waiting. Notably, Norris maintained a impressive level of equanimity all along, insisting despite challenges—such as his withdrawal from the Zandvoort race—that he would stick to his strategy and work every outing with the same relentless focus on specifics. It has yielded results.

All the while, the team have worked hard to try to maintain a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has at times been something of difficult experience, most notably at Monza when the squad instructed the Australian to surrender second place to Norris following he had lost the spot because of a delayed tire change. Some fans did not take well to what was considered McLaren needlessly interfering with their competitors.

The championship leader has won the previous pair of races, in Mexico City and Brazil, and was jeered on the podium at each, yet he remained unfazed. "Once you are on top, a lot of people try to undermine you. They do not like seeing you winning. I consider it a positive sign," he said.

"It makes me laugh. While standing on the podium in Brazil, I really loved it. It was quite satisfying. You finally feel like you are achieving success.

"I don't mind, as long as I come out on top. If I feel like I am competing the correct way, which I feel like I am, as 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 with the rest of it."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, must be conquered, and it is not a track suited to the British team. It shares characteristics with Canada and Azerbaijan: minimal aerodynamic grip, cool temperatures, and slippery surfaces. They are the only two circuits this season where McLaren have failed to claim a single top-three finish, and the leader was cautious once more about their prospects this weekend. Yet, his task in the immediate future is simple: finish in front of his teammate and the championship tally he requires will come.

Practice Sees Mixed Results for Championship Rivals

The Ferrari driver topped the times in first practice on what was still a dusty and very slippery track. The Williams racer was second, with Verstappen in fourth, Norris in P6, and Piastri in eighth. In the more indicative night running of FP2, the Briton was fastest from the Mercedes of the Italian rookie, with his teammate 14th; though, the practice was interrupted for nearly the final 20 minutes of track time to inspect a reported loose manhole cover at the penultimate corner.

The issue is taken seriously on a street circuit where, at the inaugural Las Vegas GP held in 2023, a dislodged manhole struck the Ferrari, heavily damaging it and leading to the practice to be aborted.

Mercedes Confirm Stake Transaction

Mercedes have confirmed that their team principal the Austrian executive has divested a 15% stake in his investment firm, equating to a five percent ownership in the team, to US tycoon the cybersecurity magnate. The investor is the chief executive and creator of the cybersecurity company the tech giant. Wolff will remain as team principal and may receive up to £230m from the sale, with the Brackley-based outfit having been appraised at £4.57bn, a record for an Formula 1 constructor.