In a display of gutsy racing, Lando Norris has sealed his debut Formula One world championship by taking third place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. That finish was all that was required for the British driver, even though his rival Max Verstappen won the race and his teammate at McLaren Oscar Piastri came home in second.
The driver performed precisely what was required in an incredibly intense race at the Yas Marina Circuit, featuring a series of audacious passing maneuvers, with impeccable work from both the driver and his team.
A Historic Accomplishment for British Motorsport and The Team
In taking his first world championship, Norris becomes the 11th British driver to accomplish the feat. It concludes McLaren's drivers’ championship drought, which dated back to 2008 when Lewis Hamilton was their last champion. Furthermore, it had been 27 years since McLaren last secured the championship double back in 1998.
This marks a stunning turnaround for the team, since a low point in the middle of the last decade when they ended up ninth in the standings. The comeback has been spearheaded by boss Zak Brown and, most recently, by Andrea Stella, who has built an well-drilled outfit with a very fast car.
The new champion performs a victory donut after securing the world championship.
The Story of the Teammates
Regarding his teammate Oscar Piastri, who had led the championship for a large part of the campaign, there was clear disappointment at stumbling in the later races. A series of poor performances and some errors, such as crashing out in Baku, proved costly. Nevertheless, he finishes the season having demonstrated he is also world champion material. To have been so competitive in only his third year in F1, with multiple victories, remains very impressive.
Max Verstappen too had been exceptional to force the fight down to the last race. The Dutchman did all he could in Abu Dhabi with the win, but having come back from a 104-point deficit in August, he did not quite have enough to overhaul Norris, ending up just two points short.
Sealing the Deal with Clinical Precision
Norris closed out his title with clinical precision to take the crown that had been within reach but remained just out of grasp as McLaren found themselves floundering at the previous two races. First a double disqualification in Las Vegas and then an questionable tactical decision in Qatar.
It was no little achievement for the driver in his seventh season in F1, each one with McLaren. He stuck with the team even during some difficult periods, believing they would return to the top. That faith was vindicated in Abu Dhabi.
Norris performed a hugely impressive job to stick at his goal, keeping his composure and belief even when under pressure. After losing the championship lead to Piastri after Saudi Arabia, he still worked at getting the most from what he could.
Norris chases down the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda during the grand prix.
The Title-Deciding Race
At the start, Verstappen kept his lead through the first corner, but the main contenders kept it clean. Piastri, using the hard tyre, was feisty and made a spectacular move to pass the outside of Norris to claim second place.
This demonstrated the McLarens were free to race, 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 showed great composure in his race craft.
During the race, he made an incredibly bold move to overtake two cars at once, moving up to fourth and closing on Verstappen's teammate. The rival team instructed their driver to delay Norris, which resulted in a dramatic assault where Norris went up the inside line, nearly completely off the track.
The incident was looked at by the stewards, with several nerve-wracking laps elapsing before a penalty for his rival and no further action for Norris settled the matter. This decisive charge without being held up was vital to his championship bid.
Contrasting Fates
As Norris became the first Briton to take the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2020, the difference in form between the two was pronounced. While the new generation fought for the title, Hamilton, the veteran, could only finish eighth place in Abu Dhabi, a disappointing ending to a difficult season with Ferrari.
His first season with the Scuderia had been met by 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 appeared jaded in the closing races and will aim to rebuild over the winter.
The champion celebrates on his car after being crowned world champion.
