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Despite all hype surrounding the Sin City Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is maintaining a calm demeanor about his chances of securing his first drivers' championship.

The British driver currently holds a 24-point advantage over teammate Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by 49 points, with only up to 83 points up for grabs across the remaining trio of races. But, after pulling off a extraordinary comeback from a significant deficit his teammate after the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Norris is concentrating on executing with the clinical precision that propelled him to the top of the championship.

"Things can quickly go the opposite way again as much as I hope it doesn't," he stated. "That's motorsport, as we all know. Sometimes you also have luck. You can end up unlucky. Whatever it may be. It's not worth becoming overjoyed or thinking about it. I still view it as something that's quite far away."

The 26-year-old has discovered his best form at a critical juncture—after difficulties with the car in the first part of the campaign—while his teammate has shed the controlled, almost flawless composure that previously made him seem to be a champion in waiting. Notably, Norris maintained a remarkable level of equanimity all along, insisting despite challenges—like his withdrawal from the Dutch GP—that he would adhere to his strategy and work each session with the same unwavering focus on specifics. It has yielded results.

All the while, the team have gone to no little effort to attempt to maintain a level playing field for their two drivers, and it has at times been something of difficult experience, most notably at the Italian Grand Prix when the team instructed Piastri to cede second place to Norris after he had fallen behind due to a delayed tire change. Some fans did not take well to what was seen as McLaren unnecessarily manipulating their competitors.

The championship leader has won the last two races, in Mexico City and São Paulo, and was booed on the podium at each, leaving him unfazed. "Once you are leading, many people try to undermine you. They do not want to see you winning. I see it as a good thing," he remarked.

"It just makes me laugh. When I was on the winner's stage in Brazil, I truly enjoyed it. It was quite enjoyable. You finally sense that you are achieving something right.

"I don't mind, as long as I come out on top. As long as I believe I am competing the correct way, 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."

Vegas, on the other hand, needs to be conquered, and it is not a track suited to the British team. It shares characteristics with Montreal and Baku: low downforce, cool temperatures, and low grip. They are the sole pair of circuits this season where McLaren have been unable to claim at least one podium place, and the leader was cautious once more about their prospects this weekend. Yet, his task in the short term is simple: end the race in ahead of Piastri and the championship tally he needs will follow.

Practice Sees Varied Outcomes for Title Contenders

Charles Leclerc topped the times in first practice on what was remained a sandy and very low-grip track. The Williams racer was second, with the Red Bull star in fourth, Norris sixth, and Piastri in eighth. During the more indicative evening session of second practice, the Briton was quickest from the Silver Arrows of the Italian rookie, with Piastri 14th; however, the session was interrupted for almost all of the final 20 minutes of track time to check a suspected unsecured manhole cover at turn 17.

This problem is taken seriously on a temporary track where, at the first Las Vegas GP held in 2023, a dislodged manhole struck Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, severely damaging it and leading to the practice to be ended.

Mercedes Announce Ownership Transaction

Mercedes have revealed that their team principal Toto Wolff has sold a fifteen percent share in his holding company, equating to a five percent ownership in the team, to US tycoon the cybersecurity magnate. The investor is the CEO and founder of the cybersecurity company the tech giant. The team principal will remain as boss and could earn as much as £230m from the sale, with Mercedes having been valued at £4.57bn, a new high for an Formula 1 constructor.