🔗 Share this article

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

Norris presently has a 24-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by 49 points, with just a maximum of 83 points available across the final three races. But, after pulling off a remarkable comeback from a significant deficit Piastri following the Zandvoort race in the summer, Norris is concentrating on performing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the lead of the championship.

"It can easily turn in the other direction again even though I hope it doesn't," he commented. "That's racing, you know. Sometimes you get lucky. Other times you end up unfortunate. No matter what happens. There's really no point becoming overjoyed or thinking about it. I still do see it as something that's quite distant."

The 26-year-old has found his best form at a crucial moment—after difficulties with the vehicle in the opening half of the campaign—at the same time that Piastri has lost the disciplined, nearly perfect ease that previously made him appear to be a future title winner. Notably, Norris maintained a impressive level of composure all along, asserting even in the face of challenges—like his withdrawal from the Dutch GP—that he would stick to his gameplan and work each session with the identical relentless focus on specifics. It has paid off.

All the while, the team have worked hard to try to maintain a level playing field for their pair of racers, and it has at times been a rather torturous experience, especially at Monza when the squad directed Piastri to cede second place to his teammate following he had fallen behind because of a slow pit stop. Some fans were unhappy with what was seen as the team unnecessarily manipulating their drivers.

The championship leader has won the last two races, in Mexico and São Paulo, and was jeered on the podium at each, leaving him unfazed. "When you're on top, many individuals want to undermine you. They don't like seeing you winning. I consider it a good thing," he remarked.

"It makes me laugh. When I was on the winner's stage in Brazil, I really enjoyed it. The experience was very satisfying. You finally sense that you are achieving success.

"I don't mind, provided that I win. As long as I feel like I'm doing it the correct manner, which I feel like I am, as long as I am confident I'm putting hard work into being who I am and those kinds of things, then I'm not too fussed with external opinions."

Las Vegas, on the other hand, needs to be mastered, and it is a circuit ideal for the British team. The layout has characteristics with Canada and Baku: minimal aerodynamic grip, cool temperatures, and slippery surfaces. These are the only two circuits in the current championship where McLaren have failed to secure a single top-three finish, and Norris was circumspect again about their chances this weekend. Yet, his task in the short term is straightforward: end the race in ahead of Piastri and the points he needs will come.

Practice Shows Varied Results for Title Rivals

Charles Leclerc topped the leaderboard in first practice on what was still a dusty and extremely slippery surface. The Williams racer was runner-up, with the Red Bull star in fourth, Norris sixth, and Piastri eighth. During the more indicative night running of second practice, the Briton was fastest ahead of the Mercedes of the Italian rookie, with his teammate 14th; though, the session was interrupted for nearly the final 20 minutes of running to check a reported loose drain cover at the penultimate corner.

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

Mercedes Confirm Ownership Sale

The eight-time constructors' champions have revealed that their team principal Toto Wolff has divested a fifteen percent share in his investment firm, representing a 5% share in the team, to American billionaire the cybersecurity magnate. The investor is the chief executive and creator of the digital protection firm the tech giant. Wolff will remain as boss and may receive up to £230 million from the sale, with the Brackley-based outfit having been valued at £4.57 billion, a new high for an Formula 1 constructor.