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

The British driver presently has a 24-point advantage over teammate Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by 49 points, with only up to 83 points available across the final three events. But, after staging a remarkable comeback from a significant deficit Piastri following the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Norris is concentrating on performing with the clinical precision that propelled him to the lead of the standings.

"Things can quickly go the opposite way again even though I hope it doesn't," he stated. "That's racing, you know. You can also have luck. You can end up unlucky. Whatever it may be. There's really not worth becoming overjoyed or dwelling on it. I continue to do see it as a goal that's quite distant."

The 26-year-old has found 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 shed the controlled, nearly flawless ease that had for so long made him seem to be a champion in waiting. Importantly, Norris maintained a remarkable level of equanimity all along, insisting despite challenges—like his retirement from the Dutch GP—that he would stick to his gameplan and approach each session with the same relentless attention to detail. It has paid off.

Meanwhile, the team have worked hard to try to maintain a level playing field for their two drivers, and it has at times been a rather difficult process, especially at the Italian Grand Prix when the squad instructed the Australian to cede the runner-up spot to Norris after he had lost the spot due to a delayed tire change. Some fans did not take well to what was considered McLaren needlessly manipulating their competitors.

Norris has claimed victory in the last two races, in Mexico and Brazil, and was jeered on the podium at each, yet he remained unmoved. "Once you are on top, a lot of individuals try to bring you down. They don't want to see you succeeding. I see it as a good thing," he said.

"It just amuses me. When I was on the winner's stage in Interlagos, I really enjoyed it. It was quite enjoyable. You finally feel like you are achieving success.

"It doesn't bother me, as long as I come out on top. If I believe I am competing the correct way, which I feel like I am, so long as I feel like I am dedicating hard work into remaining true to myself and similar principles, then I'm not too fussed with the rest of it."

Las Vegas, on the other hand, must be conquered, and it is a circuit suited to the British team. It shares similarities with Montreal and Baku: minimal aerodynamic grip, chilly conditions, and low grip. They are the sole pair of tracks in the current championship where the papaya squad have failed to claim at least one podium place, and Norris was cautious again about their chances this weekend. Yet, his objective in the immediate future is simple: end the race in ahead of his teammate and the points he requires will follow.

Practice Shows Varied Results for Title Contenders

Charles Leclerc led the times in first practice on what was remained a sandy and very slippery surface. Alex Albon was second, with Verstappen in fourth, the McLaren ace sixth, and Piastri in eighth. In the more representative night running of FP2, the Briton was fastest ahead of the Silver Arrows of Kimi Antonelli, with Piastri 14th; however, the session was interrupted for nearly the final 20 minutes of track time to check a suspected unsecured drain cover at turn 17.

This problem is taken seriously on a street circuit where, at the inaugural Nevada GP held in 2023, a dislodged drain cover smashed into Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, severely harming it and causing the session to be aborted.

Mercedes Confirm Ownership Transaction

The eight-time constructors' champions have revealed that their team principal Toto Wolff has sold a 15% stake in his holding company, equating to a 5% share in the team, to US tycoon the cybersecurity magnate. The investor is the chief executive and creator of the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Wolff will remain as team principal and could earn up to £230 million from the sale, with the Brackley-based outfit having been valued at £4.57 billion, a new high for an F1 team.