An emotional Lando Norris claimed his maiden Formula One World Drivers’ Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. The McLaren driver ended Max Verstappen’s four-year reign as champion in a dramatic season finale. Norris finished third in the race behind winner Verstappen and teammate Oscar Piastri, securing the title by a narrow two-point margin.
After crossing the line, his race engineer delivered the news: “That’s it mate, you are world champion!” A tearful Norris responded over team radio, “Thank you guys, you made a kid’s dream come true.”
On the podium at the floodlit Yas Marina Circuit, Norris expressed his overwhelming emotions. “I haven’t cried in a while,” he said. “I want to thank my mum, my dad, they’ve supported me since the beginning.”
He also paid tribute to his rivals, stating, “I know now what Max feels like a little bit. I want to congratulate both Max and Oscar.” The victory makes Norris Britain’s first world champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2020. It also marks McLaren’s 13th drivers’ championship.
LANDO NORRIS IS THE 2025 FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPION!!!! 🏆#F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/Rg4cc4OwlU
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 7, 2025Norris’s success continues a remarkable resurgence for the McLaren team, which secured back-to-back constructors’ titles last month. Team CEO Zak Brown celebrated the “awesome” effort, calling it a “fantastic season.”
The 26-year-old’s title arrives over half a century after Emerson Fittipaldi won McLaren’s first drivers’ crown in 1974. Norris now joins a legendary lineage of McLaren champions including James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen, and Lewis Hamilton.
Norris reflected on the intense season-long battle. “As we’ve seen many times, anything can happen,” he said. “I just kept pushing. I wanted to fight to the end.” He acknowledged that Verstappen and Piastri “certainly did not make my life easy this year.”
His journey with McLaren, spanning nine years, culminated in this pinnacle achievement. “For me to bring something back to them, I feel like I did my part,” Norris stated proudly.
The Abu Dhabi finale marked the first three-way title decider since 2010. Piastri, who led the standings for much of the season, ultimately finished third in the championship.
