🔗 Share this article

The British racing driver stated he is deeply satisfied of the approach in which he won his inaugural Formula One drivers' title, stressing after a heartfelt victory lap with his McLaren squad and family that he was pleased to have succeeded "his way".

Norris underscored that he feels he raced fairly and without being overly forceful, a philosophy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the often-praised "killer instinct". He maintains that securing the title demonstrates such an approach is not essential.

Norris secured the title with a third-place finish at the season finale, beating his rival from Red Bull by a narrow margin. The Dutch driver won the race but could not overcome the 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held going into the last race.

"This is an aspect that I am most proud of," Norris said. "I feel like I have just managed to win it the way I wanted to, which was without becoming someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Not trying to be as aggressive as Max or as forceful as other title-winners might have been in the past, I’m happy. I just did it my style – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an respectful driver."

A Tense Conclusion

Norris also conceded that, despite appearances, the closing moments were nerve-jangling.

"I felt calm until the very end, then I began to tremble a bit," he said. "Then I got to see the team after taking the flag is a memory that I’ll never forget."

An Incredible Turnaround

Norris's path to the championship involved a remarkable recovery from being 34 points behind of then-leader Oscar Piastri in August. A mechanical failure in Zandvoort became a key turning point.

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m in a deep hole against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to raise my game,’" he revealed. "I got to be more myself due to external factors, bringing in more experts in various fields to fully realize my ability."

Rival Reactions

Max Verstappen: No Regrets

Max Verstappen focused on the good from his and Red Bull’s season, having fought back from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had done everything possible against a papaya car that was often the faster package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have zero regrets about my season," he said. "Our pace has been strong. I’ve hated this car at times, but I’ve also excelled in it at times."

However, the driver reacted testily when asked about a controversial incident at the Barcelona race where a time punishment cost him valuable points.

"You forget all the other stuff that happened," Verstappen snapped. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of lucky breaks come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

The visibly dejected McLaren teammate, who had led for much of the campaign, reflected he would learn from the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wanted a different ending," he stated. "However I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself as a driver and off the track... Ultimately there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."