🔗 Share this article

Despite all excitement surrounding the Sin City Grand Prix, Lando Norris is maintaining a level head regarding his chances of securing his maiden world title.

Norris presently holds a two-dozen point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with only up to 83 points up for grabs across the final three races. However, after staging a remarkable recovery from 34 points behind Piastri following the Zandvoort race in August, Norris is focused on executing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the top of the standings.

"It can quickly turn the opposite way once more even though I don't want it to," he stated. "That's motorsport, as we all know. Sometimes you also have luck. You can also be unfortunate. No matter what happens. It's not worth becoming overjoyed or dwelling on it. I still do see it as a goal that's quite distant."

The 26-year-old has found his peak performance at a critical moment—having struggled with the vehicle in the first part of the season—at the same time that his teammate has shed the controlled, almost flawless composure that had for so long made him seem to be a future title winner. Importantly, Norris maintained a remarkable level of composure all along, insisting despite setbacks—like his withdrawal from the Zandvoort race—that he would adhere to his gameplan and work every outing with the same relentless focus on specifics. It has paid off.

All the while, the team have worked hard to try to maintain a fair competition for their pair of racers, and it has on occasion been something of torturous process, most notably at Monza when the team instructed Piastri to surrender second place to Norris following he had lost the spot because of a slow pit stop. Certain spectators did not take well to what was seen as McLaren unnecessarily manipulating their competitors.

The championship leader has won the previous pair of grands prix, in Mexico City and São Paulo, and was booed on the winner's rostrum at each, yet he remained unmoved. "When you're leading, many individuals want to undermine you. They don't want to see you winning. I see it as a good thing," he said.

"It amuses me. While standing on the winner's stage in Brazil, I truly loved it. It was very satisfying. You finally sense that you're doing something right.

"It doesn't bother me, as long as I come out on top. As long as I feel like I'm doing it the correct manner, which I feel like that's the case, so long as I am confident I am dedicating hard work into remaining true to myself and similar principles, then I'm not too fussed about the rest of it."

Vegas, on the other hand, needs to be conquered, and it is not a track suited to the McLaren. It shares similarities with Montreal and Azerbaijan: low downforce, cool temperatures, and low grip. These are the sole pair of circuits in the current championship where the papaya squad have been unable to secure at least one podium place, and Norris was circumspect again about their prospects in Nevada. Still, his objective in the short term is straightforward: end the race in front of Piastri and the championship tally he needs will come.

Friday Running Shows Varied Results for Championship Contenders

The Ferrari driver led the times in first practice on what was still a sandy and extremely slippery surface. Alex Albon was runner-up, with the Red Bull star fourth, Norris sixth, and Piastri eighth. During the more indicative night running of second practice, the Briton was fastest from the Silver Arrows of Kimi Antonelli, with Piastri 14th; however, the session lost nearly the last third of running to check a reported loose drain cover at the penultimate corner.

This problem is treated with caution on a street circuit where, at the inaugural Nevada GP staged in 2023, a dislodged drain cover struck Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, severely harming it and leading to the session to be ended.

The German Team Announce Ownership Transaction

The eight-time constructors' champions have confirmed that their team principal Toto Wolff has sold a fifteen percent share in his investment firm, representing a 5% share in the team, to American billionaire George Kurtz. Kurtz is the chief executive and creator of the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Wolff will stay on as boss and may receive up to £230m from the deal, with the Brackley-based outfit having been valued at £4.57 billion, a new high for an F1 team.