Lando Norris secured his first Formula One world championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, finishing third to edge out Max Verstappen by a slender two-point margin. In a tense season finale at the Yas Marina Circuit, Verstappen won the race and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finished second, but Norris’s podium finish was enough to maintain his championship lead.
The 26-year-old Briton crossed the line amidst emotional scenes, becoming the 11th British driver to win the title and ending McLaren’s 17-year wait for a drivers' championship since Lewis Hamilton’s triumph in 2008.
The race began with Norris starting second on the grid, sandwiched between pole-sitter Verstappen and Piastri. A bold move by Piastri on the opening lap demoted Norris to third, setting the stage for a nervy afternoon.
Norris faced immense pressure throughout the 58-lap contest, navigating traffic after his first pit stop and surviving a wheel-to-wheel battle with Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver was penalized for forcing Norris off track during an overtake, a moment that briefly placed the title outcome in jeopardy before stewards cleared the McLaren driver of any wrongdoing.
Norris’s journey to the championship was far from straightforward. After trailing Verstappen by a margin earlier in the season and enduring a mechanical DNF at the Dutch GP that left him 34 points adrift, Norris staged a remarkable recovery in the final third of the campaign.
His crucial fourth-place finish in Qatar, aided by a late overtake on Kimi Antonelli, provided the decisive points buffer he needed in Abu Dhabi. "I’m proud because I feel like I made a lot of other people happy," an emotional Norris said after the race, crediting his team and family for their support during tough times.
For Verstappen, the victory capped a strong finish to the season where he won eight races, more than any other driver, but fell agonizingly short of retaining his crown. The Dutchman praised his team's efforts, stating he had "no regrets" about his performance despite the narrow loss.
Meanwhile, Piastri, who led the championship for a long portion of the season and claimed seven wins, expressed disappointment but vowed to come back stronger. "I’ve learned a hell of a lot about myself... I can be very proud of the season I’ve had," the Australian reflected.
McLaren’s triumph marks a resurgence for the team under CEO Zak Brown and Team Principal Andrea Stella. From languishing in the midfield in the mid-2010s, they have returned to the pinnacle of the sport, delivering a car capable of challenging for both titles. Stella highlighted Norris's growth, noting, "Lando elevated his sense of... status, like, 'I can compete with Max.'"
The 2025 season concluded with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finishing fourth in the race and Lewis Hamilton taking eighth in his debut year with the Scuderia, completing a disappointing campaign without a podium. As Norris celebrated atop his car with donuts on the main straight, the focus now shifts to 2026, with a new world champion reigning supreme and a rejuvenated grid ready to challenge his crown.
