Lando Norris reaches a major Formula 1 milestone at this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Lando Norris will make his 150th F1 start in Las Vegas (Image: Getty)

Lando Norris is “pretty proud” to this weekend make a record-equalling 150th race start for McLaren. He joins David Coulthard at that milestone and will overtake his fellow Brit before the year is out.

“It’s crazy, it’s a big number, matching DC for the number of races with McLaren,” he said. “That’s something I am pretty proud of, it is quite an achievement, 150 in F1, this is my dream. It’s been my dream since I was a kid. To get that far is pretty incredible and time certainly flies.”

Norris leads team-mate Oscar Piastri by 24 points having taken control of the title race with dominant wins in Mexico and Brazil. But he feels a third victory will be tough at a Las Vegas circuit which has not suited McLaren’s cars.

He said: “From the last two years, it’s certainly been the hardest race of the year that we’ve had. My expectations are not to the same level as Mexico, Brazil, where we’ve been performing very well for a good amount of years.

We’ve had an excellent year. We’ve improved in races which we have struggled in the past, so I am coming in with more confidence than previous years but not the same amount of confidence going into the past few races that we’ve had.

“You never know. Expectations are still higher. I’m still coming here to win and to want to repeat the last few weekends that I’ve had. I think it’s going to be trickier, for sure, than the last couple.”

George Russell also cast doubt on McLaren’s chances (Image: Getty)

George Russell won this race last year and Mercedes hope to be able to repeat that performance. Many expect the Silver Arrows to be in the fight for pole and the victory, and Russell suggested he may not have to worry too much about Norris or Piastri this weekend.

He said: “If I took Mercedes out of the equation and I were to try and guess who would win this weekend, I think this would be a circuit where McLaren would struggle more than usual. When you look at their performance in Canada, it was the only time they weren’t on the podium, and their performance in Baku, the only time they weren’t on the podium.

“This circuit has some similar characteristics to the two of those tracks when you talk about the coldness, the type of tarmac, the C5 tyre, and then obviously low downforce. Baku is the same as Las Vegas, but you know, there are always these surprises, and I think it’s so close in Q3 now between so many teams.

“If you could do a magic lap and you can start from pole position, your whole weekend changes. They’ll be there or thereabouts, but I think Red Bull probably have a better chance.”