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Despite the hype surrounding the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lando Norris is maintaining a calm demeanor regarding his chances of claiming his maiden world title.

Norris presently has a 24-point advantage over teammate Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with only a maximum of eighty-three points available across the final three events. But, after pulling off a extraordinary comeback from 34 points behind Piastri following the Dutch Grand Prix in the summer, Norris is concentrating on executing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the lead of the championship.

"It can quickly turn in the other direction again as much as I don't want it to," he commented. "That's motorsport, as we all know. You can get lucky. Other times you also be unlucky. No matter what happens. It's not worth getting excited or dwelling on it. I still view it as something that's quite far away."

The 26-year-old has discovered his best form at a critical moment—having struggled with the vehicle in the opening half of the campaign—at the same time that his teammate has lost the disciplined, almost flawless ease that previously made him appear to be a future title winner. Notably, Norris kept a remarkable level of composure all along, asserting even in the face of challenges—such as his withdrawal from the Zandvoort race—that he would stick to his gameplan and approach each session with the identical unwavering attention to detail. It has paid off.

All the while, the team have gone to no little effort to try to preserve a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has on occasion been something of torturous experience, especially at Monza when the team instructed Piastri to cede the runner-up spot to his teammate following he had fallen behind because of a delayed tire change. Certain spectators were unhappy with what was seen as the team needlessly interfering with their drivers.

The championship leader has claimed victory in the previous pair of grands prix, in Mexico City and São Paulo, and was jeered on the podium at each, yet he remained unfazed. "Once you are on top, many individuals want to undermine you. They do not want to see you winning. I see it as a good thing," he said.

"It just amuses me. While standing on the podium in Brazil, I truly enjoyed it. The experience was very satisfying. You finally sense that you are achieving success.

"I don't mind, as long as I win. As long as I believe I'm doing it the right manner, which I feel like that's the case, as long as I feel like I'm putting effort into being who I am and similar principles, then I'm not too fussed about the rest of it."

Vegas, on the other hand, must be conquered, and it is a circuit suited to the British team. It shares similarities with Montreal and Azerbaijan: minimal aerodynamic grip, chilly conditions, and slippery surfaces. They are the only two circuits this season where the papaya squad have been unable to secure a single top-three finish, and Norris was circumspect again about their prospects in Nevada. Yet, his objective in the short term is straightforward: end the race in ahead of Piastri and the championship tally he needs will follow.

Practice Shows Mixed Results for Championship Contenders

Charles Leclerc topped the times in first practice on what was remained a sandy and extremely slippery track. The Williams racer was runner-up, with Verstappen fourth, the McLaren ace sixth, and Piastri in eighth. During the more indicative night running of second practice, Norris was quickest ahead of the Mercedes of the Italian rookie, with his teammate 14th; however, the practice was interrupted for almost all of the final 20 minutes of track time to inspect a reported loose manhole cover at turn 17.

The issue is treated with caution on a street circuit where, at the inaugural Las Vegas GP staged in 2023, a dislodged drain cover struck Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, heavily damaging it and leading to the session to be ended.

The German Team Announce Ownership Transaction

Mercedes have revealed that their boss Toto Wolff has sold a 15% stake in his investment firm, representing a 5% share in the team, to American billionaire George Kurtz. The investor is the chief executive and creator of the digital protection firm the tech giant. The team principal will stay on as team principal and may receive as much as £230 million from the sale, with Mercedes having been appraised at £4.57 billion, a new high for an F1 team.