Lando Norris finally clinched the drivers’ title and he’s thrilled to have done it his way—without changing who he really is.
“I’m happy I just won it my way. I’m happy I could go out and be myself and win it Lando’s way,” the beaming champion said after the Abu Dhabi GP.
The victory marks a defining moment for Norris, who’s always taken a different approach compared to other champions on the grid.
“One of the things that makes me most proud is I feel like I’ve just managed to win it the way I wanted to win it,” Norris explained. “Not by being someone I’m not, not trying to be as aggressive as Max or as forceful as all the champions might have been in the past.”
It wasn’t always easy sticking to his guns.
“Could I have gone out and been more of the person you probably want me to be at times? I could have done,” he admitted.
“But I would have been less proud about it in some ways. That’s why I’m very happy with myself—I kept my cool, I kept to myself, I kept the focus on myself and I got the most out of how I am.”
Norris crossed the finish line seven seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc, securing the world title despite finishing third in the race itself.
The path to victory wasn’t without its bumps. Norris got candid about some regrettable comments he’s made in the past.
“I know at times I say some stupid things about Max or Lewis. Some things I regret and wish I could take back and never come out of my mouth,” he said. “But I honestly believe I give more respect to anyone else than anyone else.”
## Close Call with Tsunoda
The race featured a nail-biting moment when Norris made an aggressive move on Yuki Tsunoda down the straight.
Both drivers came under investigation when Norris went beyond track limits during the overtake.
In what could have been a championship-deciding moment, it was actually Tsunoda who received a five-second penalty—for weaving on the straight—while Norris escaped punishment.
The decision allowed Norris to breathe easy at a critical point when a penalty might have cost him everything he’d worked for.
It’s been a remarkable journey for the British driver, who’s now etched his name alongside F1 legends while doing it his way.
