🔗 Share this article

Despite all hype surrounding the Sin City Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is keeping a level head regarding his prospects of securing his first world title.

Norris presently holds a two-dozen point advantage over teammate Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with just up to 83 points up for grabs across the remaining trio of events. However, after staging a remarkable recovery from 34 points behind Piastri following the Zandvoort race in the summer, Norris is concentrating on performing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the top of the standings.

"Things can easily go in the other direction once more even though I don't want it to," he stated. "That's racing, as we all know. Sometimes you also have luck. Other times you also be unfortunate. No matter what happens. There's really not worth becoming overjoyed or dwelling on it. I continue to view it as something that's quite distant."

Norris has found his best form at a critical juncture—having struggled with the vehicle in the first part of the campaign—while his teammate has shed the disciplined, nearly flawless ease that previously made him seem to be a future title winner. Notably, Norris kept a remarkable level of equanimity all along, asserting even in the face of challenges—like his withdrawal from the Zandvoort race—that he would stick to his strategy and approach each session with the same unwavering attention to detail. It has paid off.

Meanwhile, McLaren have worked hard to attempt to maintain a fair competition for their two drivers, and it has on occasion been something of difficult process, especially at Monza when the team directed Piastri to surrender second place to Norris after he had fallen behind because of a slow pit stop. Some fans did not take well to what was considered McLaren unnecessarily interfering with their competitors.

The championship leader has won the last two races, in Mexico City and São Paulo, and was jeered on the winner's rostrum at each, leaving him unfazed. "When you're leading, a lot of individuals try to bring you down. They don't want to see you succeeding. I see it as a positive sign," he remarked.

"It amuses me. While standing on the podium in Brazil, I truly loved it. The experience was quite enjoyable. You finally sense that you're doing something right.

"I don't mind, as long as I win. If I feel like I am competing the right way, 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 am not concerned about the rest of it."

Vegas, on the other hand, needs to be conquered, and it is a circuit suited to the McLaren. The layout has similarities with Montreal and Baku: minimal aerodynamic grip, chilly conditions, and low grip. They are the only two circuits this season where the papaya squad have failed to claim a single top-three finish, and Norris was circumspect again about their chances this weekend. Yet, his task in the immediate future is straightforward: finish in ahead of Piastri and the championship tally he requires will follow.

Practice Shows Mixed Results for Championship Rivals

The Ferrari driver topped the leaderboard in FP1 on what was remained a dusty and very slippery surface. Alex Albon was runner-up, with Verstappen fourth, the McLaren ace sixth, and the Australian in eighth. In the more indicative evening session of second practice, the Briton was fastest ahead of the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, with his teammate 14th; though, the practice was interrupted for almost all of the final 20 minutes of track time to inspect a suspected unsecured drain cover at turn 17.

The issue is taken seriously on a street circuit where, at the first Nevada GP staged in 2023, a dislodged drain cover struck the Ferrari, severely damaging it and leading to the session to be aborted.

The German Team Announce Stake Transaction

Mercedes have confirmed that their boss the Austrian executive has sold a 15% stake in his holding company, equating to a five percent ownership in the squad, to American billionaire George Kurtz. The investor is the CEO and founder of the digital protection firm the tech giant. The team principal will stay on as boss and may receive up to £230m from the sale, with Mercedes having been appraised at £4.57 billion, a record for an F1 team.