Lando Norris Claims First Formula One Championship, Ending Verstappen's Dominance
Norris Celebrates Historic Victory
In a moment filled with emotion, Lando Norris of McLaren shed tears of joy as he clinched his inaugural Formula One championship, marking the end of Max Verstappen's four-year title reign. Norris secured a tense third place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.
Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, concluded the season with the highest number of wins, totaling eight, and won the final race with McLaren's Oscar Piastri finishing in second place, trailing by 12.5 seconds.
At just 26 years old, Norris became Britain's 11th Formula One world champion, amassing 423 points, while Verstappen followed closely with 421 points and Piastri rounded out the top three with 410 points.
McLaren, having already claimed the constructors' championship in October for the second consecutive year, celebrated winning both titles in the same season for the first time since 1998.
An emotional Norris expressed his surprise at his tears during a post-race interview, stating, "I didn’t think I would cry but I did. It feels amazing. I now know what Max feels like a little bit."
He extended his congratulations to Verstappen and Piastri, acknowledging them as his toughest competitors throughout the season and expressing gratitude for the lessons learned from both.
NO FIVE TITLES IN A ROW FOR VERSTAPPEN
Norris's mother, Cisca, offered a comforting hug to Piastri, while both Verstappen and the Australian congratulated the new champion, showcasing a spirit of sportsmanship.
This victory prevented Verstappen from achieving a fifth consecutive title, a feat only accomplished by the legendary Michael Schumacher.
Reflecting on the season, Verstappen remarked, "The way we fought back in the second half of the season, we can be really, really proud of that," acknowledging his team's resilience despite being 104 points behind Piastri at the end of August.
Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, followed by George Russell in fifth for Mercedes and Fernando Alonso in sixth for Aston Martin.
Esteban Ocon secured seventh for Haas, while Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, faced a disappointing season, failing to reach the podium for the entire year.
Nico Hulkenberg from Sauber finished ninth in his 250th race, and Lance Stroll took the tenth spot for Aston Martin.
Verstappen, needing a win with Norris off the podium, started strong, while Norris defended his position against Piastri, who dropped Russell from fourth to sixth.
Piastri, the only driver in the top ten to start on hard tires, overtook Norris on the first lap, putting the Briton in a precarious position with Leclerc close behind.
Norris managed his tires effectively, pitting on lap 19 alongside Leclerc. He rejoined in ninth place, facing a challenge from Tsunoda, but quickly overtook four cars.
As Ocon pitted, Tsunoda was instructed by Red Bull to defend against Norris, who was cleared of any advantage after running wide during an overtaking maneuver.
Verstappen pitted on lap 24, allowing Piastri to take the lead. Leclerc made a second pit stop on lap 40, followed by Norris, who switched to hard tires.
Piastri rejoined in second, 24.5 seconds behind Verstappen, who had passed him just before the stop. Norris expressed his lifelong dedication to achieving this dream, stating, "Today we all did it, so I’m pretty happy."