Lando Norris Expresses Pride in Claiming Maiden F1 Title His Way.

Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the approach in which he clinched his inaugural Formula One world championship, emphasizing after a heartfelt victory lap with his team and family that he was pleased to have triumphed "his way".

The champion highlighted that he believes he competed cleanly and without excessive aggression, a philosophy for which he has faced criticism for lacking the often-praised "killer instinct". He maintains that winning the title demonstrates such an approach is not essential.

The 26-year-old secured the championship with a third-place finish at the season finale, edging out Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. Verstappen took the checkered flag but could not overcome the 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held entering the last race.

"This is an aspect that I am most proud of," Norris said. "I believe I have just managed to win it the way I wanted to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

Norris added, "Choosing not to be as aggressive as Max or as assertive as other champions might have been historically, I’m content. 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, although he seemed calm, the closing moments were incredibly tense.

"I felt calm until the very end, then I began to tremble a little bit," he recalled. "Then I got to see the team after taking the flag is a moment that I’ll never forget."

An Incredible Turnaround

Norris's path to the title involved a remarkable recovery from being 34 points behind of his teammate in the summer. A DNF in the Dutch Grand Prix served as a key turning point.

"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 had to become more myself because of external factors, bringing in more professionals in various fields to unlock more of my ability."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

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

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

However, the driver responded tersely when questioned about a contentious moment at the Spanish GP where a time punishment lost him critical points.

"You forget all the other stuff that happened," Verstappen snapped. "The title 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 campaign, reflected he would learn from the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wanted a different ending," Piastri said. "However I think this year I’ve learned a hell of a lot about myself as a driver and as a person... Ultimately there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."