Max Verstappen extended his congratulations to Lando Norris and McLaren at the FIA gala, where the World Championship trophy for the 2025 Formula 1 season was officially presented. The four-time world champion did so via a pre-recorded video message, as he was absent from the ceremony himself.
It was previously announced that Verstappen had to miss the annual awards ceremony in Uzbekistan due to illness. In his video message, Verstappen expressed his appreciation for the achievements of Norris and his team. “My hearty congratulations to Lando and McLaren,” he said.
Last weekend, during the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, Norris secured his first world title by finishing third, behind teammate Oscar Piastri and race winner Verstappen. This left him just two points ahead of Verstappen in the championship, despite a strong end to the season by the Dutchman, who won six of the last nine races.
Norris’s championship marked the end of Verstappen’s title streak, who had been the world champion continuously since his first world title in 2021. For McLaren, the title also represented a milestone: the team produced a world champion for the first time since Lewis Hamilton in 2008. At the FIA gala, Norris was officially honored and received the World Championship trophy. The 26-year-old Briton thus became the eleventh British world champion in the history of Formula 1.
