🔗 Share this article The British driver Lando Norris Wins First F1 Drivers' Crown in Yas Marina Despite Max Verstappen's Race Victory. Through an exhibition of brave driving, Lando Norris has clinched his first F1 world title by securing P3 at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Third place was enough for the 26-year-old driver, despite the fact that his rival Max Verstappen finished first and his teammate at McLaren Oscar Piastri finished in second. Norris executed exactly what was needed in an incredibly intense battle at the Abu Dhabi track, featuring a series of audacious overtakes, with flawless execution from both the driver and his McLaren squad. A Historic Achievement for British Motorsport and McLaren In taking his first world championship, Norris becomes the 11th driver from Britain to achieve this. It also brings to an end McLaren's drivers’ championship wait, which dated back to 2008 when Lewis Hamilton last won it. Furthermore, it had been 27 years since McLaren last secured the championship double back in 1998. It signifies a remarkable resurgence for the team, since a nadir in the mid-2010s when they ended up ninth in the standings. The revival has been spearheaded by team principal Zak Brown and, more recently, by Andrea Stella, who has built an operationally sharp team with a very fast car. Lando Norris executes a celebratory spin after securing the world championship. A Tale of Two McLaren Regarding his teammate Oscar Piastri, who had been the favorite for much of the season, there was clear disappointment at stumbling in the final third. A series of difficult weekends and mistakes, including crashing out in Baku, proved costly. Nevertheless, he finishes the season having shown he is too world champion material. To have been so competitive in only his third season in F1, with seven wins, remains a huge achievement. Verstappen too had been exceptional to force the title battle down to the last race. He did all he could in Abu Dhabi with the win, but after fighting back from a significant deficit in August, he did not quite have enough to catch Norris, ending up just two points behind. Closing it Out with Ruthless Precision He secured his title with clinical focus to take the crown that had been so close but remained just out of grasp as McLaren struggled at the last two races. First a DSQ in Las Vegas and then an egregious tactical decision in Qatar. It was no little accomplishment for the driver in his seventh year in F1, each one with McLaren. He stuck with the squad even during tough times, believing they would return to the top. That faith was vindicated in Abu Dhabi. He has done a remarkable job to persist with his goal, maintaining his composure and belief even when under the cosh. After losing the championship lead to Piastri earlier, he nonetheless worked at maximising the car's potential. Norris closes on the car of another competitor during the grand prix. The Title-Deciding Race In the race, Verstappen held his first place through the first corner, but the main contenders avoided contact. Piastri, using the hard tyre, was aggressive and made a spectacular move to go round the outside of Norris to take second place. It showed the McLarens were free to race, but left Norris under pressure from the Charles Leclerc. The first round pit visits saw Norris emerge in traffic, but he passed rivals quickly and showed great composure in his driving. During the race, he made an incredibly bold move to overtake two cars at once, climbing to fourth and closing on Verstappen's teammate. Red Bull instructed their driver to hold up Norris, leading to a breathtaking assault where Norris went up the inside, nearly leaving the track. The incident was investigated by the stewards, with several impossibly tense laps passing before a time penalty for his rival and no further action for Norris settled the matter. This decisive charge unimpeded was vital to his title fight. Contrasting Fortunes As Norris was crowned the first Briton to take the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2020, the contrast in fortunes between the two was stark. As the young guns battled over the title, Hamilton, the grand champion, could only finish eighth place in Abu Dhabi, a dismal ending to a dismal season with Ferrari. His first season with the Scuderia had been met by excitement but has yielded what was comfortably his worst season ever, finishing sixth in the championship and failing to secure a podium. He has appeared weary in the closing races and will look to rebuild over the off-season. The champion celebrates on his car after being crowned the title winner.
Through an exhibition of brave driving, Lando Norris has clinched his first F1 world title by securing P3 at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Third place was enough for the 26-year-old driver, despite the fact that his rival Max Verstappen finished first and his teammate at McLaren Oscar Piastri finished in second. Norris executed exactly what was needed in an incredibly intense battle at the Abu Dhabi track, featuring a series of audacious overtakes, with flawless execution from both the driver and his McLaren squad. A Historic Achievement for British Motorsport and McLaren In taking his first world championship, Norris becomes the 11th driver from Britain to achieve this. It also brings to an end McLaren's drivers’ championship wait, which dated back to 2008 when Lewis Hamilton last won it. Furthermore, it had been 27 years since McLaren last secured the championship double back in 1998. It signifies a remarkable resurgence for the team, since a nadir in the mid-2010s when they ended up ninth in the standings. The revival has been spearheaded by team principal Zak Brown and, more recently, by Andrea Stella, who has built an operationally sharp team with a very fast car. Lando Norris executes a celebratory spin after securing the world championship. A Tale of Two McLaren Regarding his teammate Oscar Piastri, who had been the favorite for much of the season, there was clear disappointment at stumbling in the final third. A series of difficult weekends and mistakes, including crashing out in Baku, proved costly. Nevertheless, he finishes the season having shown he is too world champion material. To have been so competitive in only his third season in F1, with seven wins, remains a huge achievement. Verstappen too had been exceptional to force the title battle down to the last race. He did all he could in Abu Dhabi with the win, but after fighting back from a significant deficit in August, he did not quite have enough to catch Norris, ending up just two points behind. Closing it Out with Ruthless Precision He secured his title with clinical focus to take the crown that had been so close but remained just out of grasp as McLaren struggled at the last two races. First a DSQ in Las Vegas and then an egregious tactical decision in Qatar. It was no little accomplishment for the driver in his seventh year in F1, each one with McLaren. He stuck with the squad even during tough times, believing they would return to the top. That faith was vindicated in Abu Dhabi. He has done a remarkable job to persist with his goal, maintaining his composure and belief even when under the cosh. After losing the championship lead to Piastri earlier, he nonetheless worked at maximising the car's potential. Norris closes on the car of another competitor during the grand prix. The Title-Deciding Race In the race, Verstappen held his first place through the first corner, but the main contenders avoided contact. Piastri, using the hard tyre, was aggressive and made a spectacular move to go round the outside of Norris to take second place. It showed the McLarens were free to race, but left Norris under pressure from the Charles Leclerc. The first round pit visits saw Norris emerge in traffic, but he passed rivals quickly and showed great composure in his driving. During the race, he made an incredibly bold move to overtake two cars at once, climbing to fourth and closing on Verstappen's teammate. Red Bull instructed their driver to hold up Norris, leading to a breathtaking assault where Norris went up the inside, nearly leaving the track. The incident was investigated by the stewards, with several impossibly tense laps passing before a time penalty for his rival and no further action for Norris settled the matter. This decisive charge unimpeded was vital to his title fight. Contrasting Fortunes As Norris was crowned the first Briton to take the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2020, the contrast in fortunes between the two was stark. As the young guns battled over the title, Hamilton, the grand champion, could only finish eighth place in Abu Dhabi, a dismal ending to a dismal season with Ferrari. His first season with the Scuderia had been met by excitement but has yielded what was comfortably his worst season ever, finishing sixth in the championship and failing to secure a podium. He has appeared weary in the closing races and will look to rebuild over the off-season. The champion celebrates on his car after being crowned the title winner.