McLaren’s Lando Norris captured his first Formula One world championship on Sunday, ending Max Verstappen’s dominant four-year run in a dramatic season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
While Verstappen powered to victory under the Yas Marina floodlights — his eighth win of the season — the night belonged to Norris, whose third-place finish was just enough to secure the crown by a razor-thin margin.
The 26-year-old Briton, now the nation’s 11th Formula One world champion, broke down in tears over the radio as the magnitude of his achievement sunk in.
“Thank you, guys. You’ve made my dreams come true,” he said, his voice cracking.
Norris ended the season on 423 points, edging out Verstappen by only two points, with teammate Oscar Piastri completing a powerful McLaren campaign in third on 410 points.
The result also marked McLaren’s first drivers’ and constructors’ championship double since 1998, sealing a remarkable turnaround for the team.
After climbing out of the car, an emotional Norris admitted he had cried both in the cockpit and during his lap back to the pits.
“It feels amazing. I now know what Max feels like — at least a little,” he said. “It’s been an honor competing against Max and Oscar this season.”
Verstappen, who needed Norris to finish outside the top three to secure a fifth consecutive championship, took defeat gracefully.
“The way we fought back in the second half of the season… I’m really proud of everyone,” the Dutchman said.
The race itself unfolded with Verstappen leading confidently from pole. Piastri, starting on hard tyres, seized second early from Norris, putting immediate pressure on the Briton’s championship hopes.
But the McLaren star responded with one of his most determined drives of the season, carving past rivals and managing a high-risk tyre strategy to reclaim control.
A tense moment came when Norris ran wide while overtaking Yuki Tsunoda, who was later penalized five seconds for moving twice under braking. Norris was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Behind the title contenders, Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult end to his first season with Ferrari, finishing eighth and completing the year without a single podium — a first in his illustrious career.
Mercedes secured second in the constructors’ standings, with Red Bull third and Ferrari fourth.
Reflecting on his long journey with McLaren, Norris said: “It’s not just about this season — it’s the last 16 or 17 years of my life chasing this dream. Today, we all achieved it together.”
— Reuters
