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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the approach in which he clinched his inaugural Formula One drivers' title, emphasizing after a heartfelt victory lap with his McLaren squad and family that he was pleased to have succeeded "his way".

The champion highlighted that he feels he raced cleanly and without being overly forceful, a strategy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the often-praised "killer instinct". Norris argues that securing the title demonstrates such an mentality is not essential.

Norris secured the championship with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, edging out Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a mere two points. The Dutch driver won the race but could not overcome the lead the McLaren driver held going into the last race.

"This is an aspect that makes me most proud," he commented. "I feel like I have just managed to win it the way I aimed to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Not trying to be as aggressive as Max or as forceful as other title-winners might have been in the past, I’m happy. I just did it my style – by being a sportsmanlike driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

A Tense Conclusion

The champion admitted that, despite appearances, the final laps were incredibly tense.

"I was composed until the very end, then I began to tremble a bit," he recalled. "Seeing the team when I crossed the line is a moment that I’ll never forget."

A Remarkable Comeback

The driver's journey to the title involved a remarkable recovery from being 34 points behind of then-leader Oscar Piastri in the summer. A mechanical failure in the Dutch Grand Prix became a major catalyst.

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m in a deep hole against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" Norris explained. "I got to be more myself due to external factors, bringing in more professionals in various fields to unlock more of my ability."

Rival Reactions

Max Verstappen: No Regrets

The reigning champion took only positives from his team's season, having mounted a comeback from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had given their all against a McLaren that was the superior package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have zero regrets about my season," he said. "The performance has been impressive. I’ve struggled with this car at times, but I’ve also excelled in it at times."

However, the Dutchman responded tersely when asked about a controversial incident at the Spanish GP where a penalty lost him valuable points.

"People overlook all the other stuff that happened," Verstappen snapped. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of early Christmas presents given to me."

The Runner-Up's Reflection

A clearly disappointed Oscar Piastri, who had led for much of the season, reflected he would learn from the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wanted a slightly different ending," Piastri said. "However I think this year I’ve learned a hell of a lot about myself behind the wheel and as a person... In the end there’s a touch of disappointment but I think I can be very proud."