🔗 Share this article

Despite all excitement around the Las Vegas Grand Prix, McLaren's lead driver is keeping a level head regarding his chances of securing his maiden drivers' championship.

The British driver presently has a two-dozen point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri and is ahead of Max Verstappen by 49 points, with only a maximum of 83 points up for grabs across the remaining trio of races. However, after pulling off a extraordinary recovery from 34 points behind his teammate after the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Norris is focused on executing with the methodical approach that propelled him to the top of the championship.

"It can quickly turn in the other direction again even though I hope it doesn't," he stated. "That's racing, as we all know. You can also have luck. You can end up unlucky. No matter what happens. There's really not worth getting excited or thinking about it. I still do see it as something that remains far away."

The 26-year-old has discovered his best form at a critical moment—after difficulties with the vehicle in the first part of the campaign—while Piastri has shed the disciplined, nearly flawless composure that previously made him appear to be a future title winner. Importantly, Norris maintained a remarkable level of equanimity throughout, asserting even in the face of challenges—like his withdrawal from the Zandvoort race—that he would adhere to his strategy and work every outing with the same relentless attention to detail. This approach has paid off.

All the while, McLaren have worked hard to attempt to maintain a level playing field for their two drivers, and it has at times been something of difficult process, especially at Monza when the squad instructed Piastri to surrender the runner-up spot to Norris following he had fallen behind due to a slow pit stop. Some fans did not take well to what was seen as McLaren unnecessarily interfering with their drivers.

The championship leader has won the previous pair of races, in Mexico City and Brazil, and was booed on the podium at each, leaving him unfazed. "Once you are leading, a lot of individuals want to undermine you. They do not want to see you succeeding. I see it as a positive sign," he remarked.

"It makes me laugh. When I was on the podium in Brazil, I really loved it. It was very enjoyable. At last you feel like you are achieving success.

"It doesn't bother me, as long as I win. If I believe I'm doing it the right way, which I feel like I am, so long as I feel like I am dedicating hard work into being who I am and similar principles, then I'm not too fussed about external opinions."

Las Vegas, meanwhile, needs to be conquered, and it is a circuit suited to the British team. It shares characteristics with Canada and Azerbaijan: low downforce, cool temperatures, and low grip. These are the only two tracks in the current championship where McLaren have failed to claim at least one podium place, and the leader was cautious once more about their chances in Nevada. Still, his task in the short term is straightforward: end the race in ahead of his teammate and the championship tally he needs will come.

Friday Running Sees Mixed Outcomes for Championship Contenders

Charles Leclerc topped the leaderboard in first practice on what was still a sandy and extremely slippery surface. The Williams racer was second, with Verstappen in fourth, the McLaren ace sixth, and the Australian in eighth. In the more representative evening session of FP2, the Briton was quickest from the Mercedes of the Italian rookie, with Piastri 14th; however, the session was interrupted for nearly the last third of track time to inspect a suspected loose drain cover at the penultimate corner.

The issue is taken seriously on a temporary track where, at the first Las Vegas GP held in 2023, a dislodged manhole smashed into Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, heavily damaging it and leading to the session to be ended.

Mercedes Confirm Ownership Sale

The eight-time constructors' champions have confirmed that their team principal Toto Wolff has divested a 15% stake in his investment firm, equating to a 5% share in the team, to US tycoon the cybersecurity magnate. The investor is the CEO and founder of the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. The team principal will stay on as team principal and could earn as much as £230m from the deal, with the Brackley-based outfit having been appraised at £4.57 billion, a record for an F1 team.