Lando Norris has clinched his first world championship! The Briton needed only a podium finish in Abu Dhabi, and with his third place, he has fulfilled his childhood dream. Close rivals Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri finished in first and second place respectively. The Briton couldn’t hold back his tears after the race: ‘Now I know how Max feels’.
It took 152 Grands Prix for Lando Norris, but he has secured his first world title. “Lando, this is Zak (Brown, ed.) from McLaren. Am I speaking to the world champion?” With these words, the McLaren CEO confirms the news to the driver. The Briton is already in tears.
“I haven’t cried like this in a while,” says the newly crowned world champion to interviewer David Coulthard. “It’s been a long journey.” Norris then begins to thank his team. “And also my parents, my mother and father, everyone who has supported me from the beginning. I’m such a wimp now,” the Briton sighs. “You look like a winner,” Coulthard reassures him.
‘Now I know how Max feels’
“It feels amazing,” Norris continues. “Now I know how Max feels. I also want to congratulate him, and Oscar. It was a real pleasure to race against my two biggest title rivals. It was an honor, and I learned a lot from them. I enjoyed it, it’s been a year. But we did it.”
Despite Norris wanting to focus primarily on the race itself in Abu Dhabi, he admits afterwards that winning the championship was haunting his thoughts. “It was a long race, and we’ve seen before that anything can happen in Formula 1. I kept doing my best until the last laps. I wanted to fight until the end. That’s how the whole season went, especially with Max and later Oscar on my heels. They definitely made my life harder this year, but I’m happy.”
The only moment during the Grand Prix when Norris’s title was in question was when the Briton was investigated for his overtaking move on Tsunoda. “I had no idea,” Norris admits that he didn’t notice the stewards’ investigation. “I wasn’t worried about it. I’m enjoying the moment. Not many people experience what I’m going through right now. I’m just incredibly happy.”
