Lando Norris Reveals Satisfaction in Securing First F1 Title On His Own Terms.

Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the approach in which he won his first-ever Formula One world championship, stressing after emotional celebrations with his team and family that he was happy to have triumphed "his way".

The champion highlighted that he feels he raced cleanly and without being overly forceful, a philosophy for which he has been scrutinized for not displaying the much-discussed "ruthless edge". He maintains that winning the title demonstrates such an approach is not essential.

The 26-year-old secured the championship with a P3 finish at the season finale, edging out Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. The Dutch driver won the race but could not erase the 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held entering the last race.

"That's one of the things that I am most proud of," Norris said. "I believe I have just been able to secure it the way I wanted to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Not trying to be as combative as Max or as forceful as other champions might have been historically, I’m content. I just did it my style – by being a sportsmanlike driver, by trying to be an respectful driver."

A Tense Conclusion

The champion admitted that, despite appearances, the closing moments were incredibly tense.

"I felt calm until three corners to go, then I started to shake a little bit," he said. "Seeing the team when I crossed the line is a moment that I’ll never forget."

An Incredible Turnaround

Norris's path to the title involved a stunning comeback from being far adrift of then-leader Oscar Piastri in August. A mechanical failure in Zandvoort became a major catalyst.

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m quite a long way behind against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" he revealed. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, bringing in more professionals in various fields to fully realize my potential."

Competitors' Responses

Max Verstappen: No Regrets

Max Verstappen took only positives from his team's season, having mounted a comeback from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had given their all against a papaya car that was often the faster package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have no regrets about my season," he said. "Our pace has been strong. I’ve struggled with this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

Yet, the driver reacted testily when asked about a contentious moment at the Spanish GP where a penalty lost him critical points.

"You forget all the other stuff that happened," he retorted. "A championship is won over a full season... I have also had a lot of early Christmas presents come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

A clearly disappointed Oscar Piastri, who had led for much of the campaign, reflected he would learn from the experience.

"Naturally I would have wanted a different ending," Piastri said. "But I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself as a driver and as a person... Ultimately there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be very proud."