🔗 Share this article The British driver Lando Norris Claims Maiden F1 World Championship in Abu Dhabi Despite Verstappen's Grand Prix Victory. With a performance full of nerveless driving, the McLaren driver has clinched his debut Formula One world championship by taking a podium finish at the Yas Marina race. That finish was all that was required for the 26-year-old driver, despite the fact that his rival Max Verstappen finished first and his teammate at McLaren Oscar Piastri came home in second. He delivered precisely what was required in an extremely intense battle at the Abu Dhabi track, featuring a number of bold passing maneuvers, with impeccable work from both the driver and his McLaren squad. A Momentous Accomplishment for Britain and The Team With this his maiden world championship, Norris is now the 11th driver from Britain to achieve this. It also brings to an end McLaren's title wait, which stretched 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. This marks a remarkable revival for the team, since a nadir in the mid-2010s when they ended up ninth in the standings. The comeback has been led by team principal Zak Brown and, more recently, by Andrea Stella, who has built an operationally sharp team with a race-winning car. Lando Norris executes a victory donut after winning the world championship. The Story of the Teammates For his teammate Oscar Piastri, who had been the favorite for a large part of the campaign, there was clear frustration at stumbling in the closing stages. A series of difficult weekends and mistakes, including crashing out in Baku, were expensive. However, he finishes the season having shown he is also world champion material. Being so competitive in only his third season in F1, with multiple victories, remains a huge achievement. Verstappen was also exceptional to take the title battle down to the last race. The Dutchman 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 overhaul Norris, ending up just two points short. Closing it Out with Clinical Execution He secured his success with ruthless focus to take the crown that had been so close but eluded him as McLaren found themselves floundering at the previous two rounds. First a DSQ in Las Vegas and then an egregious tactical decision in Qatar. It was a significant achievement for the 26-year-old in his seventh year in F1, all of them with McLaren. He stuck with the team even during some difficult times, believing they would return to the top. That belief was rewarded in Abu Dhabi. Norris performed a remarkable job to stick at his goal, maintaining his cool and belief during periods under pressure. After losing the championship lead to Piastri after Saudi Arabia, he still worked at maximising the car's potential. Norris chases down the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda during the grand prix. The Decisive Race At the start, Verstappen kept his lead through turn one, but the three title leaders avoided contact. Piastri, starting on the hard tyre, was feisty and made a brilliant move to go round the outside of Norris to claim second place. This demonstrated the McLarens were free to race, but put Norris under threat from the Charles Leclerc. The first round pit stops saw Norris emerge in traffic, but he passed rivals within a lap and showed no signs of nerves in his race craft. On lap 19, he made an absolutely bravura move to dive past two cars at once, moving up to fourth and catching Verstappen's teammate. Red Bull told their driver to delay Norris, which resulted in a breathtaking assault where Norris went up the inside line, almost completely off the track. This moment was investigated by the race officials, with a few impossibly tense laps elapsing before a time penalty for his rival and no further action for Norris settled the matter. This bold move without being held up was crucial to his championship bid. Diverging Fates While Norris was crowned the first British driver to take the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2020, the difference in fortunes between the two was pronounced. While the new generation battled over the title, Hamilton, the grand champion, could only finish eighth place in Abu Dhabi, a dismal conclusion to a difficult season with Ferrari. Making his debut with the Scuderia had been greeted with enthusiasm but produced what was easily his worst season ever, ending up sixth in the championship and failing to secure a top-three finish. He has looked jaded in the final rounds and will look to rebuild over the off-season. Lando Norris celebrates on his car after being crowned the title winner.
With a performance full of nerveless driving, the McLaren driver has clinched his debut Formula One world championship by taking a podium finish at the Yas Marina race. That finish was all that was required for the 26-year-old driver, despite the fact that his rival Max Verstappen finished first and his teammate at McLaren Oscar Piastri came home in second. He delivered precisely what was required in an extremely intense battle at the Abu Dhabi track, featuring a number of bold passing maneuvers, with impeccable work from both the driver and his McLaren squad. A Momentous Accomplishment for Britain and The Team With this his maiden world championship, Norris is now the 11th driver from Britain to achieve this. It also brings to an end McLaren's title wait, which stretched 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. This marks a remarkable revival for the team, since a nadir in the mid-2010s when they ended up ninth in the standings. The comeback has been led by team principal Zak Brown and, more recently, by Andrea Stella, who has built an operationally sharp team with a race-winning car. Lando Norris executes a victory donut after winning the world championship. The Story of the Teammates For his teammate Oscar Piastri, who had been the favorite for a large part of the campaign, there was clear frustration at stumbling in the closing stages. A series of difficult weekends and mistakes, including crashing out in Baku, were expensive. However, he finishes the season having shown he is also world champion material. Being so competitive in only his third season in F1, with multiple victories, remains a huge achievement. Verstappen was also exceptional to take the title battle down to the last race. The Dutchman 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 overhaul Norris, ending up just two points short. Closing it Out with Clinical Execution He secured his success with ruthless focus to take the crown that had been so close but eluded him as McLaren found themselves floundering at the previous two rounds. First a DSQ in Las Vegas and then an egregious tactical decision in Qatar. It was a significant achievement for the 26-year-old in his seventh year in F1, all of them with McLaren. He stuck with the team even during some difficult times, believing they would return to the top. That belief was rewarded in Abu Dhabi. Norris performed a remarkable job to stick at his goal, maintaining his cool and belief during periods under pressure. After losing the championship lead to Piastri after Saudi Arabia, he still worked at maximising the car's potential. Norris chases down the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda during the grand prix. The Decisive Race At the start, Verstappen kept his lead through turn one, but the three title leaders avoided contact. Piastri, starting on the hard tyre, was feisty and made a brilliant move to go round the outside of Norris to claim second place. This demonstrated the McLarens were free to race, but put Norris under threat from the Charles Leclerc. The first round pit stops saw Norris emerge in traffic, but he passed rivals within a lap and showed no signs of nerves in his race craft. On lap 19, he made an absolutely bravura move to dive past two cars at once, moving up to fourth and catching Verstappen's teammate. Red Bull told their driver to delay Norris, which resulted in a breathtaking assault where Norris went up the inside line, almost completely off the track. This moment was investigated by the race officials, with a few impossibly tense laps elapsing before a time penalty for his rival and no further action for Norris settled the matter. This bold move without being held up was crucial to his championship bid. Diverging Fates While Norris was crowned the first British driver to take the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2020, the difference in fortunes between the two was pronounced. While the new generation battled over the title, Hamilton, the grand champion, could only finish eighth place in Abu Dhabi, a dismal conclusion to a difficult season with Ferrari. Making his debut with the Scuderia had been greeted with enthusiasm but produced what was easily his worst season ever, ending up sixth in the championship and failing to secure a top-three finish. He has looked jaded in the final rounds and will look to rebuild over the off-season. Lando Norris celebrates on his car after being crowned the title winner.