Lando Norris Expresses Pride in Securing Maiden F1 Title On His Own Terms.

Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the manner in which he won his inaugural Formula One drivers' title, stressing after emotional celebrations with his McLaren squad and family that he was pleased to have succeeded "in his own style".

Norris underscored that he believes he competed cleanly and without being overly forceful, a strategy for which he has been scrutinized for not displaying the often-praised "killer instinct". Norris argues that securing the championship demonstrates such an approach is not essential.

Norris wrapped up the title with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. The Dutch driver won the race but could not erase the 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held entering the final round.

"That's one of the things that I am most proud of," he commented. "I feel like I have just been able to secure it the way I aimed to, which was without becoming someone I’m not."

Norris added, "Choosing not to be as combative as Max or as assertive as other champions might have been historically, I’m happy. I just did it my style – by being a sportsmanlike driver, by trying to be an respectful driver."

A Tense Conclusion

The champion admitted that, although he seemed calm, the final laps were incredibly tense.

"I was composed until three corners to go, then I began to tremble a little bit," he said. "Seeing the team when I crossed the line is a memory that I’ll never forget."

An Incredible Turnaround

Norris's path to the championship involved a stunning comeback from being 34 points behind of then-leader Oscar Piastri in August. A DNF in Zandvoort served as a major catalyst.

"I thought: ‘Oh no. I’m quite a long way behind against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" he revealed. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, bringing in more experts in various fields to fully realize my ability."

Competitors' Responses

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen took only positives from his team's performances, having mounted a comeback from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had done everything possible against a papaya car that was the superior package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have zero regrets about my season," he said. "Our pace has been strong. I’ve struggled with this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

However, the Dutchman responded tersely when questioned about a contentious moment at the Barcelona race where a penalty cost him valuable points.

"You forget all the other events that happened," Verstappen snapped. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of lucky breaks come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

A clearly disappointed McLaren teammate, who was in front for much of the campaign, reflected he would learn from the defeat.

"Naturally I would have wanted a slightly different ending," he stated. "However I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself behind the wheel and off the track... Ultimately there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be very proud."