Norris finished third behind Max Verstappen in the final race, giving McLaren their first drivers’ world title since 2008.
Published December 7, 2025
A tearful Lando Norris won his first F1 World Drivers’ title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, ending Max Verstappen’s four-year reign.
The Briton finished the season in third place behind race winner Verstappen and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, another title challenger, taking the crown by two points.
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After he crossed the line, the team engineer told him: “This is it, man, you’re the world champion, the world champion!”
“Thank you, you made a child’s dream come true,” he replied.
“I haven’t cried in a while. I didn’t think I would cry, but I did,” Norris said from the floodlit Yas Marina Circuit podium on a desert night.
“I would like to thank my mother and father for supporting me from the beginning.
“It feels great. I know a little bit about how Max feels. I want to congratulate both Max and Oscar. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been a long year!” he added.
Great year for McLaren
McLaren, led by team principal Andrea Stella and CEO Zac Brown, won back-to-back constructors’ titles in Singapore last month.
“It was exciting, a little too exciting, it was awesome,” Brown said.
“Lando and Oscar, it’s been a really great season!” added the American.
Norris won his 13th driver’s title for McLaren, becoming Britain’s first world champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2020.
The 26-year-old’s success comes more than half a century after Emerson Fittipaldi won the British brand’s first drivers’ title in 1974.
Galactic F1 greats followed, including James Hunt (1976), Niki Lauda (1984), Alain Prost (1985, 1986, 1989), Ayrton Senna (1988, 1990, 1991), Mika Hakkinen (1998, 1999) and Hamilton in 2008.
Assessing his path to glory, Norris added: “As I’ve seen many times, anything can happen. So I just kept pushing. I wanted to fight to the end.[Verstappen and Piastri]this year certainly didn’t make my life easy, but I’m happy!”
“It’s been a long journey with McLaren, we’ve been together for nine years.
“I feel proud of myself because I was able to give something back to them and feel like I did my part for the team this year.”
Piastri finished third in the standings, although he led the championship for most of the season until he was overtaken by Norris in Mexico.
Sunday’s season closer marked the first time the title was decided by a battle between two or more drivers since a four-way scrap at the final race in Abu Dhabi in 2010.
