Lando Norris secured his first Formula 1 World Championship title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, finishing third in the race, which was enough to edge out race winner Verstappen by two points in the championship standings. Norris admitted to feeling calm during the race until the final three corners, when he began to shake, overwhelmed by memories and the magnitude of the achievement.
He expressed that the victory was not solely his, but a collective achievement with his team, engineers, and especially his parents, acknowledging their significant sacrifices. Norris also reflected on the journey, recalling his early inspirations from watching Formula 1 and karting.
He emphasized his pride in making others happy and hoped the title would not change his principles, highlighting his belief in winning through fair and honest driving. The championship challenge had faced a setback in August after a failure at the Dutch Grand Prix, which had put him 34 points behind McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.