With his world championship, Norris proves he can do it his own way

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“There were doubts I had in the beginning of the year, and I proved myself wrong. That’s something that makes me very happy.”

Lando Norris is a Formula 1 World Champion, and he did it his way. A season-long battle against not only teammate Oscar Piastri but also Max Verstappen ended with a relatively comfortable third place securing a maiden title for the McLaren driver.

Over the past 266 days, Norris had times when he’s looked every bit like a world champion, yet others when he couldn’t look farther from it.

The first race in Australia really was the precursor for what was to come, as Norris and Piastri fought over victory in what was clearly the quickest car, but an unexpected twist – thanks to the weather – saw one of them fall out of contention and Max Verstappen nearly snatch an unlikely victory. Like he would be for most of the season, the Dutchman was right there to try and take advantage when it mattered.

After Verstappen did that for what felt like the tenth time in a row in Qatar, Norris’ first chance to wrap up the title came and went, and he entered the final round knowing there were two threats trying to take the championship from him.

The decider lacked an edge in many ways, because the needle between two rivaling teams had not been there all season. Christian Horner’s departure from Red Bull robbed the situation of one of its villainous characters, although even sources close to the team wonder if the turnaround would have been possible without the change of leadership and subsequent arrival of Laurent Mekies.

Verstappen’s comeback also changed the way the tension grew. Unlike 2021 – when it was two drivers in closely-matched machinery often occupying the same space of track – or 2024 – when Verstappen was having to try and defend an existing lead against a faster McLaren – this was a year when one car or the other often had an advantage in the latter stages, and missed opportunities from McLaren allowed the gap to close.

It still meant so much to those involved, and Norris had the most to lose in his position as leader going into the final round.

“This is what we’ve been waiting for our whole lives,” he said before the finale.

As the race unfolded, Norris had a clear game plan. He was not overly aggressive on the opening lap as Piastri took second from him, and settled into a rhythm after the opening stint to just cover threats from behind. Despite how often drivers say they’re only focused on the moment, Norris said he had the championship in mind and was working to cover all eventualities.

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“You can’t not think of it,” he said. “It’s a long race to the very end. We’ve seen many times anything in Formula 1 can happen, and I just kept pushing until the last two or three laps, [then] I could ease it off a bit, but I was still wanting to fight to the end and that’s what we did.

“That’s what we had to do this se ason, with Max chasing us the whole way, with Oscar catching up again at the end. They certainly didn’t make my life easy this year.

“But I did feel calm. I felt calm until three corners to go. I started to shake a little bit. I got to think of all those incredible memories very quickly, and then I got to see the team when I went over the line. This is a moment that I’ll never forget.”

There were moments of drama – Canada comes to mind – between McLaren’s pair, but no one can deny their methods can pay off in the long run, first with the constructors’ title here in Singapore, then with Norris’ crown Sunday in Abu Dhabi. Kym Illman/Getty Images

While Verstappen’s fightback was massively impressive given Red Bull’s struggles earlier this season, Norris had to try and beat a teammate in Piastri who had the same strong machinery for the first part of the year, but then the same less dominant car after the summer break. All of that played out amid McLaren’s even-handed approach to racing – the infamous Papaya Rules – which meant there were times the pair almost seemed to be lacking a cutthroat edge one could argue is needed to be a champion.

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Norris’ honesty on multiple fronts, including his self-confidence and mental health, has at times been used against him, too, but to win a title with such an approach is something he ranks as particularly satisfying.

“That’s one of the things that makes me most proud,” Norris said. “I feel like I have just managed to win it the way I wanted to win it, which was not by being someone I’m not – not trying to be as aggressive as Max or as forceful as other champions might have been in the past – whatever it may be.

“I’m happy. I just won it my way. I’m happy I could go out and be myself and win it Lando’s way, as Andrea [Stella] would tell me. That certainly makes me happy.

“Could I have gone out and been more of that person you probably want me to be at times? I could have done. I would have been less proud about it in some ways, so that’s why I’m very happy with myself. I kept my cool, I kept to myself, I kept the focus on myself, and I got the most out of how I am.

“At times I say some stupid things, and I say some things about Max, or I might have said some things at times in the past that everyone talks about, about Lewis [Hamilton] – some things I regret and I wish I could take back and never have come out my mouth – but I honestly believe I give more respect to [everyone] else than anyone else.

“I give more respect to Oscar. I give more respect to Max. I try and give as much respect as I can to Lewis – he’s seven-time world champion; he’s the best driver; you compare him to [Michael] Schumacher, the best driver that’s ever been in Formula 1. I’m not even close to that. I might never be. I dream of those kind of things.

“I dreamed of today, and I’ve managed to achieve one of seven, comparing to him. Do I regret some of the comments I might have said in cooldown rooms or whatever it is? Yes. But a lot of those are in the heat of the moment, and by the time I’ve said it, I’ve gone, ‘Why the hell did I just say that?!’”

That’s not to say Norris doesn’t still struggle with the reaction to his approach sometimes, and will be hoping for his dues for his title. He has been known to say one thing and admit the total opposite within the same sentence, as he struggles with what he wants to say and what he really thinks, and that uncertainty at times has been reflected in his driving. Whether that’s by small qualifying errors or imperfect race craft, earlier this year it looked like it might cost him his big chance, but those were ironed out as the season wore on, particularly in time for the business end of the year, and Norris says the vindication that his style can win a world championship means he won’t need to listen to outside noise as often.