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Despite the excitement surrounding the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lando Norris is keeping a level head regarding his prospects of claiming his maiden drivers' championship.

Norris presently holds a two-dozen point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by 49 points, with just a maximum of 83 points available across the remaining trio of races. But, after staging a remarkable recovery from a significant deficit his teammate after the Dutch Grand Prix in the summer, Norris is focused on performing with the clinical precision that lifted him to the lead of the standings.

"It can easily go in the other direction once more even though I hope it doesn't," he stated. "That's motorsport, you know. Sometimes you also have luck. Other times you end up unlucky. No matter what happens. It's not worth getting excited or thinking about it. I continue to do see it as a goal that remains distant."

The 26-year-old has found his best form 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 disciplined, almost flawless ease that had for so long made him seem to be a champion in waiting. Notably, Norris kept a impressive level of equanimity all along, asserting even in the face of challenges—like his withdrawal from the Dutch GP—that he would stick to his strategy and work each session with the same unwavering attention to detail. It has paid off.

All the while, McLaren have worked hard to try to preserve a level playing field for their two drivers, and it has on occasion been something of torturous experience, most notably at Monza when the squad directed Piastri to cede second place to Norris after he had lost the spot because of a slow pit stop. Certain spectators did not take well to what was considered the team needlessly manipulating their drivers.

The championship leader has claimed victory in the last two grands prix, in Mexico City and Brazil, and was jeered on the winner's rostrum at each, yet he remained unmoved. "When you're leading, many people try to bring you down. They don't want to see you winning. I consider it a positive sign," he said.

"It makes me laugh. When I was on the podium in Interlagos, I truly enjoyed it. It was very satisfying. At last you sense that you're doing something right.

"It doesn't bother me, as long as I win. If I believe I am competing the correct way, which I feel like that's the case, so long as I feel like I am dedicating effort into remaining true to myself and similar principles, then I am not concerned about external opinions."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, must be mastered, and it is a circuit suited to the British team. The layout has similarities with Canada and Baku: minimal aerodynamic grip, chilly conditions, and low grip. These are the only two circuits this season where the papaya squad have failed to secure at least one top-three finish, and Norris was cautious again about their prospects in Nevada. Still, his objective in the immediate future is simple: finish in ahead of Piastri and the championship tally he needs will follow.

Practice Sees Varied Outcomes for Title Contenders

Charles Leclerc led the times in FP1 on what was still a sandy and extremely slippery surface. Alex Albon was runner-up, with Verstappen in fourth, the McLaren ace in P6, and Piastri eighth. During the more representative night running of FP2, Norris was quickest from the Silver Arrows of the Italian rookie, with Piastri 14th; though, the practice was interrupted for nearly the last third of track time to check a reported loose drain cover at the penultimate corner.

This problem is treated with caution on a temporary track where, at the first Nevada GP staged in 2023, a dislodged drain cover smashed into Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, severely damaging it and causing the session to be ended.

The German Team Confirm Stake Sale

Mercedes have confirmed that their boss the Austrian executive has divested a 15% stake in his holding company, equating to a five percent ownership in the squad, to US tycoon George Kurtz. Kurtz is the CEO and founder of the cybersecurity company the tech giant. The team principal will remain as team principal and could earn up to £230m from the deal, with Mercedes having been appraised at £4.57 billion, a record for an F1 team.