🔗 Share this article The British driver Lando Norris Wins Debut F1 Drivers' Crown in Yas Marina In Spite Of Verstappen's Race Triumph. Through an exhibition of brave driving, the McLaren driver has sealed his first F1 world title by taking a podium finish at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. A podium was sufficient for the 26-year-old driver, even though his rival Max Verstappen won the race and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finished in second. He delivered precisely what was needed in an extremely high-pressure race at the Abu Dhabi track, including a series of audacious overtakes, with flawless execution from both the driver and his McLaren squad. A Historic Achievement for Britain and The Team With this his first world championship, Norris becomes the eleventh British driver to accomplish the feat. It also brings to an end McLaren's title wait, which went back to 2008 when Lewis Hamilton was their last champion. Furthermore, it had been 27 years since McLaren achieved the drivers’ and constructors’ double back in 1998. It represents a stunning resurgence for the team, since a nadir in the mid-2010s when they twice finished ninth in the standings. The revival has been spearheaded by team principal Zak Brown and, most recently, by Andrea Stella, who has delivered an operationally sharp outfit with a very fast car. The new champion performs a victory donut after securing the world championship. The Story of the Teammates For the Australian Oscar Piastri, who had led the championship for much of the season, there was clear frustration at faltering in the later races. A series of poor performances and mistakes, including crashing out in Baku, proved costly. Nevertheless, he finishes the season having shown he is also of champion caliber. To have been so fast in only his third year in F1, with seven wins, remains very impressive. Max Verstappen was also exceptional to take the fight to the wire. The Dutchman did all he could in Abu Dhabi with the race victory, but after fighting back from a significant deficit in August, he fell just short of having the points to overhaul Norris, finishing just two points short. Sealing the Deal with Clinical Precision He secured his title with ruthless focus to take the crown that had been so close but eluded him as McLaren struggled at the previous two rounds. First a double disqualification in Las Vegas and then an egregious strategy call in Qatar. It was no little achievement for the driver in his seventh season in F1, all of them with McLaren. He remained loyal to the team even during some difficult times, believing they would come good. That faith was rewarded in Abu Dhabi. He has done a remarkable job to stick at his goal, keeping his composure and confidence even when under pressure. After losing the lead to Piastri after Saudi Arabia, he nonetheless worked at maximising the car's potential. Lando Norris chases down the car of another competitor during the grand prix. The Decisive Grand Prix In the race, Verstappen held his first place through the first corner, but the three title leaders avoided contact. Piastri, starting on the more durable compound, was feisty and made a spectacular move to pass the outside of Norris to claim second place. It showed the McLarens were allowed to fight, but left Norris under threat from the Charles Leclerc. The first round pit stops saw Norris emerge in midfield traffic, but he overtook rivals within a lap and displayed great composure in his driving. During the race, he made an incredibly bold move to dive past two cars in one swoop, climbing to fourth and catching Verstappen's teammate. Red Bull told their driver to delay Norris, leading to a breathtaking assault where Norris went up the inside, nearly leaving the track. The incident was investigated by the race officials, with a few nerve-wracking 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 championship bid. Contrasting Fates As Norris became the first Briton to win the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2020, the contrast in fortunes between the two was stark. As the young guns fought for the title, Hamilton, the veteran, could only finish eighth place in Abu Dhabi, a disappointing ending to a difficult season with Ferrari. Making his debut with the Scuderia had been greeted with excitement but produced what was easily his worst season ever, finishing sixth in the championship without a top-three finish. He has appeared jaded in the final rounds and will aim to rebuild over the winter. The champion revels on his car after becoming world champion.
Through an exhibition of brave driving, the McLaren driver has sealed his first F1 world title by taking a podium finish at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. A podium was sufficient for the 26-year-old driver, even though his rival Max Verstappen won the race and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finished in second. He delivered precisely what was needed in an extremely high-pressure race at the Abu Dhabi track, including a series of audacious overtakes, with flawless execution from both the driver and his McLaren squad. A Historic Achievement for Britain and The Team With this his first world championship, Norris becomes the eleventh British driver to accomplish the feat. It also brings to an end McLaren's title wait, which went back to 2008 when Lewis Hamilton was their last champion. Furthermore, it had been 27 years since McLaren achieved the drivers’ and constructors’ double back in 1998. It represents a stunning resurgence for the team, since a nadir in the mid-2010s when they twice finished ninth in the standings. The revival has been spearheaded by team principal Zak Brown and, most recently, by Andrea Stella, who has delivered an operationally sharp outfit with a very fast car. The new champion performs a victory donut after securing the world championship. The Story of the Teammates For the Australian Oscar Piastri, who had led the championship for much of the season, there was clear frustration at faltering in the later races. A series of poor performances and mistakes, including crashing out in Baku, proved costly. Nevertheless, he finishes the season having shown he is also of champion caliber. To have been so fast in only his third year in F1, with seven wins, remains very impressive. Max Verstappen was also exceptional to take the fight to the wire. The Dutchman did all he could in Abu Dhabi with the race victory, but after fighting back from a significant deficit in August, he fell just short of having the points to overhaul Norris, finishing just two points short. Sealing the Deal with Clinical Precision He secured his title with ruthless focus to take the crown that had been so close but eluded him as McLaren struggled at the previous two rounds. First a double disqualification in Las Vegas and then an egregious strategy call in Qatar. It was no little achievement for the driver in his seventh season in F1, all of them with McLaren. He remained loyal to the team even during some difficult times, believing they would come good. That faith was rewarded in Abu Dhabi. He has done a remarkable job to stick at his goal, keeping his composure and confidence even when under pressure. After losing the lead to Piastri after Saudi Arabia, he nonetheless worked at maximising the car's potential. Lando Norris chases down the car of another competitor during the grand prix. The Decisive Grand Prix In the race, Verstappen held his first place through the first corner, but the three title leaders avoided contact. Piastri, starting on the more durable compound, was feisty and made a spectacular move to pass the outside of Norris to claim second place. It showed the McLarens were allowed to fight, but left Norris under threat from the Charles Leclerc. The first round pit stops saw Norris emerge in midfield traffic, but he overtook rivals within a lap and displayed great composure in his driving. During the race, he made an incredibly bold move to dive past two cars in one swoop, climbing to fourth and catching Verstappen's teammate. Red Bull told their driver to delay Norris, leading to a breathtaking assault where Norris went up the inside, nearly leaving the track. The incident was investigated by the race officials, with a few nerve-wracking 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 championship bid. Contrasting Fates As Norris became the first Briton to win the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2020, the contrast in fortunes between the two was stark. As the young guns fought for the title, Hamilton, the veteran, could only finish eighth place in Abu Dhabi, a disappointing ending to a difficult season with Ferrari. Making his debut with the Scuderia had been greeted with excitement but produced what was easily his worst season ever, finishing sixth in the championship without a top-three finish. He has appeared jaded in the final rounds and will aim to rebuild over the winter. The champion revels on his car after becoming world champion.