Lando Norris’s title hunt was crowned on Sunday in Abu Dhabi. In the final race of the season, Norris secured the world championship. Below is an overview of his journey to his very first Formula 1 world title, with all the highs and lows.
GP Australia: A Promising Start
Lando Norris wins the GP of Australia (Getty Images)
In Melbourne, Norris immediately makes his mark. Starting from pole, he maintains the lead in the fluctuating conditions, while Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen apply pressure. With nerves of steel, he fights his way to his first victory of the season in the final phase.
GP China: A New Challenger
Norris ahead of George Russell in China (Getty Images)
It’s a challenging weekend for Norris, but he manages to increase his lead in the championship. During the Grand Prix, he struggles with brake problems, but he manages to get his faltering MCL39 across the finish line just ahead of Russell. Teammate Oscar Piastri wins the race, once again underlining that he is a serious competitor for Norris.
GP Japan: Victory Just Out of Reach
Norris attempts to overtake Verstappen (Getty Images)
In Japan, Lando Norris narrowly misses the pole position, as Verstappen is 0.012 seconds faster. Throughout the race, he consistently puts pressure on the Dutchman, even daring to attack as they exit the pit lane. However, Verstappen holds his ground and secures the victory. The championship difference between Norris and Verstappen is now just one point.
GP Bahrain: A Strong Comeback
Piastri, Stella, and Norris on the podium in Bahrain (Getty Images)
Norris has a challenging qualification and has to settle for the sixth starting position. In the race, the Brit recovers and drives his way to third place. Piastri claims the victory, displacing Verstappen from the second position in the championship and reducing his deficit to Norris to just three points.
GP Saudi Arabia: Piastri Takes the Lead
Norris’ MCL39 being towed away after his crash (Getty Images)
Norris crashes during his first run in Q3 and has to settle for P10. In the Grand Prix, he fights his way back, but for the first time in 2025, he misses the podium and finishes fourth. Since the season opener, Norris had been leading the championship, but after the race in Saudi Arabia, he drops to second place, ten points behind Piastri.
GP Miami: Duel with Verstappen
Norris and Verstappen in Miami (Getty Images)
A year after his very first victory, Norris wins the sprint race, aided by a safety car. The Brit fights his way past Charles Leclerc to second place in the Grand Prix, although his deficit in the championship consequently increases to sixteen points.
GP Emilia-Romagna: Teammate Rivalry
Norris overtakes Piastri in Imola (Getty Images)
In the Grand Prix, Norris overtakes Russell with a daring move in the Villeneuve chicane. A late safety car gives him the opportunity to pit for new tires and overtake Piastri, securing second place. His deficit in the championship now stands at thirteen points.
GP Monaco: Triumph on the Streets
Lando Norris celebrates his victory in Monaco (Getty Images)
Norris takes pole and sets the lap record on the iconic street circuit of Monaco. During the race, he manages to keep home favorite Charles Leclerc behind him and achieves his second victory of the season, the first since the opening race in Melbourne. The gap to Piastri is now just three points.
GP Spain: Piastri Shows Resilience
Piastri and Norris celebrate one-two in Spain (Getty Images)
After Norris’ victory in Monaco, Piastri takes his revenge. The Australian takes pole position and wins the race, causing Norris’ deficit to Piastri to increase to ten points.
GP Canada: Collision with Competitor
Norris after his crash in Canada (Getty Images)
In Montreal, Norris has a challenging qualification and starts in seventh place. In the final laps, he battles with Piastri, but ultimately crashes with his teammate, forcing him to abandon the race. Piastri finishes in fourth place. As a result, Norris’s deficit in the championship grows to 22 points.
GP Austria: McLarens in Duel
Norris and Piastri battling at the Red Bull Ring (Getty Images)
At the Red Bull Ring, Norris secures a strong pole position, with more than half a second lead over Leclerc and Piastri. In the race, the McLarens fiercely compete for the victory, but ultimately, it’s Norris who comes out on top, reducing his championship deficit to 15 points.
GP Great Britain: Norris Claims Glorious Home Victory
Norris celebrating his home victory (Getty Images)
Norris writes a historic chapter in his home race. Piastri receives a ten-second penalty for braking too hard under the safety car. This forces Verstappen to swerve and spin out during the restart. Thanks to the time penalty, Norris secures the victory in his home race, reducing the championship gap to just eight points.
GP Belgium: Piastri Strikes Back
Piastri overtakes Norris at Spa-Francorchamps (Getty Images)
In Belgium, Norris qualifies third for the sprint and finishes in the same position. He secures the pole position for the Grand Prix and seems on track for his third consecutive victory, but Piastri ultimately wins the race, extending his championship lead to 16 points.
GP Hungary: Norris’ Tactical Masterpiece
Norris crosses the finish line first in Hungary (Getty Images)
In Hungary, Norris drops from third to fifth at the start. Thanks to a one-stop strategy, while Piastri opts for two stops, he fights his way back to the front and clinches the victory. This reduces Norris’ championship deficit to nine points.
GP Netherlands: Abrupt Retirement for Norris
Norris disappointed after retirement in Zandvoort (Getty Images)
In Zandvoort, Norris qualifies second, just 0.012 seconds behind Piastri. During the race, the Brit encounters an engine problem and has to park his smoking car, marking his second retirement of the season. As a result, his deficit to teammate Piastri increases to 34 points.
Italian Grand Prix: Tactical Dilemma at McLaren
Piastri lets Norris pass in Monza
In Monza, a slow pit stop results in Norris falling behind Piastri. The team intervenes and switches their positions, much to Piastri’s dissatisfaction. As a result, Norris gains three points on Piastri, reducing his deficit to 31 points. Verstappen wins and reduces his gap to Piastri from 104 to 94 points.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Catastrophic Setback for Piastri
Norris overtakes Piastri after his crash in Baku
In Baku, the qualifying round is disappointing for McLaren. Oscar Piastri crashes in Q3, while Norris qualifies in seventh place. In the first round, Piastri crashes again, and Norris finishes the race in seventh place as well. After the race, his deficit to Piastri is 25 points, while Verstappen significantly closes the gap and is now 69 points behind Piastri.
Singapore Grand Prix: McLaren Crowned Constructors’ Champion
McLaren celebrates Constructors’ Championship in Singapore
In turn three, Norris makes contact with Piastri’s front tire, nearly sending the Australian into the wall. Piastri is clearly not pleased with this. Norris finishes third, Piastri fourth, while McLaren secures the Constructors’ Championship. Norris is now 22 points behind his teammate.
United States GP: Verstappen Closes the Gap
Norris and Piastri crash in Austin (Getty Images)
Both McLarens crash during the sprint race and are forced to retire. Verstappen capitalizes on this and wins both the sprint race and the Grand Prix, gaining significant ground in the championship. Piastri has a less successful weekend, finishing fifth. Norris now trails Piastri by 14 points, while Verstappen reduces his deficit to the Australian to 40 points.
Mexico GP: Norris Back at the Top
Norris celebrates his victory in the Foro Sol (Getty Images)
In Mexico, Norris secures another strong pole position. After a chaotic start, he takes the lead and extends it to a thirty-second advantage. With this victory, Norris snatches the championship lead from Piastri by a single point.
São Paulo GP: Norris Dominates
Norris celebrates his victory in Brazil (Getty Images)
In São Paulo, Norris is the fastest in the sprint qualifying, wins the sprint race, and sees Piastri retire. In the qualifying and the Grand Prix, he confirms his form with pole position and victory. Verstappen fights his way back from the pit lane to P3, while Piastri finishes fifth. With this victory, Norris extends his lead over Piastri in the championship to 24 points.
GP Las Vegas: McLaren Disqualified
Norris on the podium in Las Vegas (Getty Images)
In a wet qualifying session, Norris secures pole position. However, he brakes too late at the start of the race, allowing Verstappen to take the lead and Norris to finish second. After the race, a huge blow follows: both McLarens are disqualified due to excessively worn skid blocks. As a result, both Piastri and Verstappen are now 24 points behind Norris.
GP Qatar: Championship Opportunity for Norris
Norris disappointed in the media pen (Getty Images)
At the start of the race, Verstappen immediately overtakes Norris. During the safety car, everyone stops for new tires, except McLaren, which proves to be a costly mistake. Norris eventually finishes fourth, while Verstappen takes the victory. Norris enters the final race with a lead of 12 points over Verstappen and 16 points over Piastri.
GP Abu Dhabi: Norris Makes History
Norris celebrates his world title with his team (Getty Images)
Norris qualifies second behind Verstappen. In the race, due to an early pit stop, he has to navigate his way through traffic. He eventually crosses the finish line third, which is enough to secure the world title. Lando Norris is the world champion!
