Lando Norris Claims First F1 Drivers' Crown in Abu Dhabi In Spite Of Max Verstappen's Grand Prix Win.
Through an exhibition of nerveless racing, the McLaren driver has sealed his first Formula One world championship by taking a podium finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. That finish was enough for the 26-year-old driver, despite the fact that his rival Max Verstappen finished first and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finished in second.
Norris executed precisely what was required in an incredibly high-pressure battle at the Abu Dhabi track, including a series of audacious overtakes, with impeccable work from both himself and his team.
A Momentous Feat for British Motorsport and McLaren
In taking his maiden world championship, Norris is now the eleventh driver from Britain to do so. It concludes McLaren's drivers’ championship drought, which stretched back to 2008 when Lewis Hamilton last won it. Furthermore, it had been 27 years since McLaren achieved the championship double back in 1998.
It represents a remarkable turnaround for the Woking-based outfit, since a low point in the mid-2010s when they twice finished ninth in the standings. The revival has been led by team principal Zak Brown and, most recently, by Andrea Stella, who has delivered an efficient team with a race-winning car.
Lando Norris executes a celebratory spin after winning the world championship.
A Tale of Two Teammates
Regarding his teammate Oscar Piastri, who had led the championship for a large part of the season, there was clear disappointment at stumbling in the final third. A series of poor performances and some errors, such as crashing out in Baku, proved costly. Nevertheless, he finishes the season having demonstrated he is also of champion caliber. Being so fast in only his third season in F1, with multiple victories, remains a huge achievement.
Verstappen too had been brilliant to force the fight to the wire. He did everything possible in Abu Dhabi with the win, but after fighting back from a significant deficit in August, he did not quite have enough to catch Norris, ending up just a handful of points short.
Sealing the Deal with Clinical Precision
Norris closed out his success with ruthless precision to take the crown that had been so close but remained just out of grasp as McLaren found themselves floundering at the last two rounds. First a DSQ in Las Vegas and then an egregious tactical decision in Qatar.
It was a significant achievement for the 26-year-old in his seventh year in F1, each one with McLaren. He remained loyal to the team even during tough periods, convinced they would come good. That faith was vindicated in Abu Dhabi.
Norris performed a remarkable job to stick at his task, maintaining his composure and confidence even when under pressure. Having lost the lead to Piastri after Saudi Arabia, he nonetheless worked at maximising the car's potential.
Lando Norris chases down the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda during the race.
The Title-Deciding Race
In the race, Verstappen held his lead through the first corner, but the three title leaders kept it clean. Piastri, starting on the hard tyre, was feisty and made a brilliant move to pass the outside of Norris to claim second place.
This demonstrated the McLarens were allowed to fight, but put Norris under threat from the Charles Leclerc. Early pit stops saw Norris emerge in midfield traffic, but he passed rivals within a lap and displayed no signs of nerves in his driving.
During the race, he made an incredibly bold move to overtake two cars at once, climbing to fourth and catching Verstappen's teammate. Red Bull told their driver to hold up Norris, which resulted in a breathtaking assault where Norris went up the inside, almost completely off the track.
This moment was looked at by the race officials, with a few impossibly tense laps elapsing before a time penalty for his rival and no further action for Norris settled the matter. This bold move without being held up was crucial to his championship bid.
Diverging Fortunes
While Norris became the first British driver to take the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2020, the contrast in form between the two was stark. While the new generation battled over the title, Hamilton, the veteran, could only finish eighth place in Abu Dhabi, a dismal conclusion to a dismal season with Ferrari.
His first season with the Scuderia had been greeted with excitement but has yielded what was comfortably his worst season ever, ending up sixth in the championship without a top-three finish. He has looked weary in the closing races and will aim to reset over the winter.
Lando Norris revels on his car after becoming the title winner.
