Lando Norris heads into the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend with a comfortable buffer in his pursuit of a first F1 drivers’ championship.
The Briton leads Oscar Piastri by 24 points in the standings with only three rounds left to run. However, it is not yet a squarely intra-McLaren affair as Max Verstappen is still in distant contention at 49 points adrift.
Braced for a tough weekend in Sin City, with cool temperatures not suiting the MCL39, the team-mates will quickly want to get in their groove at the low-grip Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
Mercedes dominated the event 12 months ago, with George Russell leading home Lewis Hamilton for a one-two finish. Will the Brackley-based squad be able to replicate that form this year?
Team principal Toto Wolff has been coy in the run-up to the weekend, with Ferrari and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen also likely to play their parts.
The Dutch driver claimed his fourth title in Nevada last season, and whilst he cannot repeat that this term, he will be hoping for a strong round to keep his hopes of a fifth consecutive crown alive.
Follow along to the RacingNews365 live coverage of the first free practice from the Las Vegas Grand Prix below!
