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Despite the hype around the Sin City Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is keeping a calm demeanor regarding his chances of claiming his first drivers' championship.

The British driver currently has a 24-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with only up to 83 points up for grabs across the remaining trio of events. However, after staging a remarkable comeback from 34 points behind Piastri following the Dutch Grand Prix in the summer, Norris is focused on executing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the top of the championship.

"Things can easily go the opposite way again even though I hope it doesn't," he stated. "That's motorsport, as we all know. Sometimes you get lucky. Other times you end up unfortunate. Whatever it may be. It's no point getting excited or dwelling on it. I still do see it as something that's quite distant."

The 26-year-old has found his best form at a critical juncture—after difficulties with the car in the first part of the campaign—at the same time that his teammate has lost the disciplined, almost flawless ease that had for so long made him appear to be a future title winner. Notably, Norris kept a impressive level of equanimity throughout, insisting even in the face of challenges—like his retirement from the Dutch GP—that he would stick to his gameplan and approach each session with the same unwavering focus on specifics. This approach has paid off.

Meanwhile, the team have worked hard to attempt to maintain a fair competition for their two drivers, and it has at times been something of torturous experience, especially at the Italian Grand Prix when the team directed Piastri to surrender second place to Norris after he had lost the spot because of a delayed tire change. Certain spectators were unhappy with what was seen as McLaren unnecessarily interfering with their drivers.

The championship leader has claimed victory in the previous pair of grands prix, in Mexico City 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 do not like seeing you winning. I consider it a good thing," he said.

"It just makes me laugh. When I was on the winner's stage in Interlagos, I truly enjoyed it. The experience was very satisfying. You finally sense that you're doing something right.

"I don't mind, as long as I come out on top. As long as I feel like I'm doing it the right manner, which I feel like 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 with the rest of it."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, needs to be mastered, and it is not a track ideal for the McLaren. It shares similarities with Montreal and Azerbaijan: minimal aerodynamic grip, cool temperatures, and slippery surfaces. They are the only two circuits this season where the papaya squad have failed to secure at least one top-three finish, and Norris was circumspect once more about their prospects in Nevada. Yet, his objective in the immediate future is straightforward: finish in front of his teammate and the championship tally he requires will follow.

Friday Running Shows Varied Results for Championship Rivals

The Ferrari driver topped the times in FP1 on what was still a dusty and very slippery surface. Alex Albon was second, with Verstappen fourth, Norris in P6, and Piastri eighth. During the more representative night running of second practice, the Briton was fastest ahead of the Mercedes of the Italian rookie, with his teammate 14th; however, the session was interrupted for almost all of the last third of track time to inspect a reported unsecured drain cover at turn 17.

This problem is treated with caution on a temporary track where, at the inaugural Nevada GP held in 2023, a dislodged manhole struck the Ferrari, heavily damaging it and leading to the practice to be ended.

Mercedes Announce Stake Sale

The eight-time constructors' champions have confirmed that their boss the Austrian executive has divested a 15% stake in his holding company, equating to a 5% share in the team, to US tycoon the cybersecurity magnate. Kurtz is the CEO and founder of the cybersecurity company the tech giant. Wolff will remain as boss and could earn up to £230 million from the deal, with Mercedes having been appraised at £4.57bn, a record for an F1 team.