Lando Norris secured his maiden Formula 1 drivers’ championship on Sunday after clinching third place in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, edging out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by a razor-thin two-point margin.
Verstappen won the race, his eighth victory of the season but it was not enough to stop Norris, whose McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finished second and provided crucial tactical support throughout the tense finale.
The 26-year-old Briton becomes the 11th F1 world champion from the United Kingdom and caps a remarkable seventh season in the sport, one that started slowly but surged after mid-season upgrades transformed McLaren into a consistent front-runner.
Norris was visibly emotional after the race, saying, “I’ve not cried in a while and I didn’t think I would cry, but I did. It feels amazing. I now know what Max feels like.”
He paid tribute to his rivals, adding, “I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competitors the whole season. It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them and an honor I’ve learned a lot from both.”
The result also sealed McLaren’s first drivers’ and constructors’ championship double since 1998, marking a historic return to dominance for the storied team.
Norris’s title completes a dramatic year-long battle that saw him win seven races, consistently challenging the reigning champion Verstappen in the second half of the season and holding his nerve under immense pressure in the decider at Yas Marina.
