Norris’s Title Triumph: Paddock Reaction After Dramatic Abu Dhabi Finale

Drivers and team bosses react as Lando Norris secures his first Formula 1 World Championship in Abu Dhabi, with Verstappen’s race win not enough to stop McLaren’s new era of dominance.

Lando Norris finally became Formula 1 World Champion in a tension‑filled Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, bringing home a measured third-place finish that secured the 2025 title by just two points. The McLaren driver only needed a podium to seal the deal and delivered under immense pressure, ending Max Verstappen’s run of four consecutive championships.

Norris now stands as Britain’s 11th F1 world champion and the 35th driver ever to win the title, marking a major milestone for both the driver and McLaren’s modern era. The Yas Marina finale capped a rollercoaster season that saw momentum swing between Norris, teammate Oscar Piastri and Verstappen right up to the last race.

Verstappen Wins the Race but Loses the War

Max Verstappen did his part by winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from pole, scoring his eighth victory of the year and underlining Red Bull’s late‑season resurgence. However, the Dutchman needed Norris to finish off the podium to clinch a fifth title, and the McLaren driver’s third place left him agonisingly short in the final standings.

After the race, Verstappen was philosophical, acknowledging the scale of his comeback while accepting defeat: he admitted that coming so close after trailing by a significant margin late in the year still felt “tough to take”, but praised McLaren and Norris for a “strong season overall”. The result leaves him on four world titles and sets up a fierce rivalry heading into 2026.

Norris’s Calm Drive and Emotional Radio Message

On track, Norris briefly slipped to third when Oscar Piastri dived past him on the opening lap, but he stayed composed and managed his tyres and pace in an incident‑free race without safety cars. He kept Charles Leclerc and the chasing pack at bay, navigated traffic cleanly after the pit stops, and did exactly what the championship maths required.

Over team radio after taking the chequered flag, Norris let the emotion pour out, thanking the crew and calling the achievement “history made” as celebrations erupted in the McLaren garage. Later, speaking to TV crews, he highlighted the pressure of the final few rounds and credited the team for giving him a car capable of fighting back after setbacks earlier in the season.

McLaren Celebrate Double Championship Success

McLaren’s 2025 campaign will go down as one of the great modern turnarounds, with the team wrapping up the Constructors’ Championship earlier at the Singapore Grand Prix before sealing the Drivers’ crown in Abu Dhabi. They finished the season on 833 points, comfortably ahead of Mercedes on 469 and Red Bull on 451, underlining their consistency across all tracks.

Team boss Andrea Stella hailed Norris for handling the pressure of a three‑way title fight and praised Piastri’s contribution to the constructors’ triumph despite missing out on the drivers’ crown. McLaren framed the success as the payoff for years of investment in infrastructure, driver development and the MCL39 project, signalling that their goal is now to build a long‑term era at the front rather than a one‑off peak.

Reactions from Piastri and the Paddock

Oscar Piastri, who had been a title contender for much of the season, finished second in the race behind Verstappen and just ahead of Norris, playing the team game by not taking unnecessary risks in the closing stages. After the race he congratulated his teammate, admitting he was “disappointed to miss the big trophy” but proud to have been part of McLaren’s dominant season.

Around the paddock, rivals acknowledged that Norris’s title felt like a changing of the guard, with several drivers noting how composed he remained even when Verstappen’s Qatar win cut the gap to just 12 points heading into Abu Dhabi. With new regulations approaching in 2026, many in the sport now expect a multi‑year Norris–Verstappen–Piastri era at the front, promising more showdowns like the 2025 finale.