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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the approach in which he won his inaugural Formula One world championship, stressing after a heartfelt victory lap with his McLaren squad and family that he was pleased to have triumphed "in his own style".

Norris underscored that he feels he raced cleanly and without being overly forceful, a strategy for which he has faced criticism for lacking the much-discussed "killer instinct". He maintains that winning the championship proves such an approach is not essential.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the championship with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating his rival from Red Bull by a narrow margin. The Dutch driver won the race but could not overcome the lead Norris held entering the last race.

"This is an aspect that makes me most proud," he commented. "I believe I have just been able to secure it the way I aimed to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Not trying to be as aggressive as Max or as forceful as other title-winners might have been in the past, I’m content. I just won it my way – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

A Tense Conclusion

The champion admitted that, despite appearances, the final laps were nerve-jangling.

"I was composed until the very end, then I started to shake a little bit," he said. "Seeing the team after taking the flag is a memory that I’ll always remember."

An Incredible Turnaround

Norris's path to the championship involved a remarkable recovery from being 34 points behind of then-leader Oscar Piastri in the summer. A mechanical failure in Zandvoort became a major catalyst.

"I was like: ‘Oh no. I’m quite a long way behind against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to raise my game,’" he revealed. "I got to be more myself due to external factors, bringing in more experts in different areas to fully realize my ability."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen focused on the good from his team's season, having fought back from a 104‑point deficit. He believed they had done everything possible against a McLaren that was the superior package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have no regrets about my season," Verstappen stated. "The performance has been strong. I’ve struggled with this car at times, but I’ve also excelled in it at times."

However, the driver reacted testily when questioned about a contentious moment at the Barcelona race where a time punishment cost him valuable points.

"You forget all the other stuff that happened," Verstappen snapped. "The title is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of early Christmas presents given to me."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

A clearly disappointed McLaren teammate, who had led for much of the campaign, admitted he would learn from the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wished for a slightly different ending," he stated. "However I think this year I’ve learned a hell of a lot about myself as a driver and off the track... Ultimately there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."