McLaren’s Lando Norris accomplished a lifetime dream on Sunday at the Yas Marina Circuit with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, enough for the British driver to be crowned a first-time Formula One World Champion.
In tears on the team radio, the new title winner shared, “Thank you guys, you made a kid’s dream come true, I love you guys. I love you, mum, I love you, dad.”
Title rival Max Verstappen took victory while Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri clinched second place.
“It’s a long journey, and I want to say a big thanks to my guys, everyone at McLaren, and my parents. They are the ones who have supported me since the beginning,” he said in his post-race F1 interview.
“It feels amazing, I now know what Max feels like, 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 honour, I’ve learned a lot from both of them as well,” he added.
“I’ve enjoyed it, and it has been a long year, but we did it, and I’m so proud of everyone.”
Charles Leclerc with Scuderia Ferrari and Mercedes’ George Russell completed the top five.
Together through the ups and downs over the last nine years, the 26-year-old gave back to McLaren a double World Championship after a 27-year hiatus.
Etched in Formula One history, McLaren has been wise in finding the balance required to provide its two talented drivers a reliable platform to reach glory.
Early in October, the Papaya squad had captured back-to-back Constructors’ Championships at the Singapore Grand Prix with six rounds to go.
The Battle for the Title as It Happened
A thrilling campaign throughout an epic season resulted in a three-way title showdown between McLaren duo Norris and Piastri, and four-time world champion Verstappen with Red Bull Racing, which went down to the last round of the year.
During the first half of the season, the McLarens took the grid by storm; however, the comfortable advantage the Woking-based team built over the Dutchman (title defender) faded after the summer break, when the latter erased to zero a 104-point deficit to Piastri.
The Australian would remain in title contention but lost his 15-race leadership to his teammate, who turned the tables, becoming more consistent, showing mental strength and maturity to step ahead in the battle for the title.
He assessed his season during the FIA post-race conference, commenting: “I would have wished for a slightly different ending, but this year I’ve learned a hell of a lot about myself as a race car driver, myself as a person.
“And I think even in the tough moments, I’ve learned a lot about myself and how I can be stronger in the future,” he added.
“Ultimately, there’s a little bit of disappointment, obviously, but I think I can be very proud of the season I’ve had and plenty of lessons to take to the future.”
Verstappen’s Late Challenge
Wins in Italy, Azerbaijan, the United States, and Las Vegas (previously won in Japan and Emilia-Romagna) saw Verstappen tie Piastri with 366 points, as Norris sat atop on a 390-point tally.
The Milton Keynes outfit was fiercely committed to improving the RB21, and knowing they had the best driver in the cockpit, they gave themselves a real chance to fight for the crown.
Verstappen’s 70th Formula 1 triumph at the Qatar Grand Prix consolidated his comeback, taking second place in the overall standings with 396 points, just 12 behind Norris, who retained his leadership, also 16 clear of Piastri.
The finest of margins this season between the three drivers saw them heading to the season finale in Abu Dhabi, each holding seven race wins.
On Sunday, the pole sitter crossed the finish line first at Yas Marina Circuit by clinching his 8th victory of the year, the most for the fifth straight year, sitting just 2 points behind the new title winner.
“The team has really shown they never give up. It’s easy to say ‘this is it, it’s 100 points+ and the season is done’, but they always kept trying to understand the issues, and we really did,” outlined the 28-year-old.
“It’s been really fun, the fightback has been really fun. At the end, it doesn’t matter if you finish behind by one point, 10 points, or 20 points. You’re behind. It’s two points at the end, but it’s been cool. I’ve been enjoying it.”
In 2025, the team founded by the legendary Bruce McLaren rounds off a season for the ages, having captured their 13th Drivers’ World Championship and 10 Constructors’ World Championship.
FIA Final Race Classification:
Mercedes took second place in the standings, followed by Red Bull, Ferrari, and the resurgent Williams in fifth place.
Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, Haas, Sauber, and Alpine wrapped up the top 10.
Next season, new technical regulations will come into effect, as the sport moves to sustainably fuelled hybrid engines, major aerodynamics changes, and the introduction of wide-ranging new chassis.
A three-day private test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will kick-start the 2026 season late in January, but before that, a much-deserved winter break to recharge and come back hungry for more. Onwards!