🔗 Share this article

Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the approach in which he won his inaugural Formula One drivers' title, emphasizing after a heartfelt victory lap with his team and family that he was happy to have succeeded "in his own style".

The champion highlighted that he believes he competed cleanly and without excessive aggression, a strategy for which he has faced criticism for lacking the often-praised "ruthless edge". Norris argues that winning the title demonstrates such an mentality is unnecessary.

Norris secured the title with a P3 finish at the season finale, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. Verstappen 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 believe I have just been able to secure it the way I wanted to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

Norris added, "Not trying to be as combative as Max or as assertive as other title-winners might have been historically, I’m content. I just won it my way – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

A Tense Conclusion

The champion admitted that, although he seemed calm, the final laps were nerve-jangling.

"I felt calm until the very end, then I began to tremble a little bit," he said. "Then I got to see the team when I crossed the line is a memory that I’ll always remember."

A Remarkable Comeback

Norris's path to the championship involved a remarkable recovery from being far adrift of his teammate in the summer. A mechanical failure in Zandvoort became a key turning point.

"I was like: ‘Oh no. I’m in a deep hole against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to raise my game,’" he revealed. "I had to become more myself because of external factors, bringing in more experts in different areas to fully realize my potential."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen focused on the good from his and Red Bull’s season, having fought back from a massive points gap. He believed they had given their all against a papaya car that was often the faster package.

"Yes, absolutely, I have no regrets about my season," Verstappen stated. "The performance has been impressive. I’ve hated this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

Yet, the Dutchman reacted testily when asked about a controversial incident at the Barcelona race where a time punishment lost him valuable points.

"People overlook all the other events that happened," Verstappen snapped. "The title is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of lucky breaks come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

The visibly dejected Oscar Piastri, who had led for much of the campaign, reflected he would learn from the defeat.

"Naturally I would have wished for a different ending," Piastri said. "But I think this year I’ve learned a hell of a lot about myself as a driver and off the track... Ultimately there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."