Lando Norris finally claimed his first Formula 1 World Championship in Abu Dhabi, delivering the calm, measured drive he needed to secure the title with a third-place finish behind race winner Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. It may not have been a lights-to-flag triumph, but it was the sort of composed performance that wins championships – steady, controlled, and unshaken by the chaos unfolding around him.
The pressure was heavy from the moment the lights went out. Starting on the front row between Verstappen and Piastri, Norris knew the arithmetic: finish on the podium and the title was his. Piastri, however, wasn’t feeling charitable. The Australian launched a punchy move around the outside of Turn 9 on the opening lap, dropping Norris to third and immediately testing his nerve.
From there, the Brit had to manage more than just tyre temperatures. Charles Leclerc loomed behind him in the Ferrari, waiting for even the smallest mistake. After Norris’ first stop, a stint in midfield traffic made things scrappier, culminating in a heated exchange with Yuki Tsunoda. The Red Bull driver defended with a bit too much enthusiasm and earned a penalty, while Norris was cleared – a decision that eased the tension on the McLaren wall considerably.
Up front, Verstappen and Piastri kept things clean. Verstappen pitted early, Piastri ran long on the hards and switched late to mediums, but neither scenario unsettled Norris’ strategic position. When Leclerc tried to force McLaren’s hand with a second stop, Norris covered it immediately, emerging with enough margin to keep control of the final stint.
Once the race settled, Norris’ task was simple: keep Leclerc at arm’s length and avoid any heroics. Verstappen took the win, Piastri followed, and Norris crossed the line in third to secure the title by just two points – tight enough to keep everyone honest, but enough to write his name into the history books.
Behind the top three came Leclerc, then George Russell and Fernando Alonso, with Esteban Ocon beating Lewis Hamilton to seventh after a spirited late battle. Nico Hülkenberg celebrated his 250th Grand Prix with a well-earned ninth, while Lance Stroll claimed the last point despite a penalty.
The rest of the field shuffled through their usual mix of strategy gambles and stewards’ notes, with Alpine once again ending the day at the back – a fitting bookend to a season they’ll be keen to forget.
When Norris parked up and climbed onto his McLaren, the magnitude of his achievement finally started to show. Years of near-misses, steady improvements, and lingering “almost” narratives were washed away in one night. Lando Norris is finally a Formula 1 world champion – and he earned it the hard way.