🔗 Share this article

Despite all hype surrounding the Las Vegas Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is keeping a level head about his chances of securing his maiden world title.

The British driver currently holds a two-dozen point lead over fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri and leads Max Verstappen by nearly fifty points, with only a maximum of eighty-three points available across the remaining trio of races. But, after staging a remarkable comeback from 34 points behind Piastri following the Zandvoort race in the summer, Norris is focused on executing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the lead of the standings.

"It can easily go in the other direction once more as much as I don't want it to," he stated. "That's motorsport, as we all know. You can also have luck. You can also be unlucky. Whatever it may be. It's no point getting excited or dwelling on it. I still view it as a goal that's quite far away."

Norris 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 Piastri has shed the controlled, almost perfect composure that previously made him appear to be a future title winner. Notably, Norris kept a remarkable level of composure throughout, insisting despite setbacks—such as his retirement from the Dutch GP—that he would adhere to his strategy and approach each session with the same unwavering attention to detail. It has yielded results.

Meanwhile, the team have gone to no little effort to try to maintain a level playing field for their two drivers, and it has on occasion been a rather torturous experience, especially at Monza when the team directed Piastri to surrender the runner-up spot to his teammate after he had fallen behind because of a slow pit stop. Some fans were unhappy with what was seen as the team unnecessarily interfering with their competitors.

The championship leader has claimed victory in the previous pair of grands prix, in Mexico City and Brazil, and was booed on the podium at both, leaving him unfazed. "Once you are on top, many people try to bring you down. They do not want to see you winning. I consider it a good thing," he said.

"It amuses me. While standing on the winner's stage in Brazil, I really loved it. The experience was very enjoyable. At last you feel like you are achieving something right.

"It doesn't bother me, provided that I come out on top. If I believe I'm doing it the correct way, which I feel like I am, as long as I feel like I'm putting effort into being who I am and those kinds of things, then I am not concerned with the rest of it."

Vegas, meanwhile, must be conquered, 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 been unable to secure at least one top-three finish, and the leader was circumspect once more about their prospects in Nevada. Still, his task in the short term is straightforward: end the race in front of his teammate and the points he requires will come.

Friday Running Sees Varied Outcomes for Championship Rivals

Charles Leclerc topped the times in FP1 on what was still a sandy and very low-grip surface. Alex Albon was second, with Verstappen in fourth, Norris sixth, and the Australian in eighth. During the more representative night running of FP2, the Briton was fastest from the Silver Arrows of the Italian rookie, with Piastri down in fourteenth; however, the session lost almost all of the final 20 minutes of running to check a suspected unsecured manhole cover at turn 17.

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

Mercedes Confirm Stake Transaction

Mercedes have revealed that their team principal Toto Wolff has divested a 15% stake in his holding company, representing a 5% share in the squad, to American billionaire the cybersecurity magnate. Kurtz is the chief executive and creator of the digital protection firm the tech giant. The team principal will remain as team principal and could earn up to £230m from the deal, with the Brackley-based outfit having been valued at £4.57 billion, a new high for an Formula 1 constructor.