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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the manner in which he clinched his first-ever Formula One world championship, stressing after a heartfelt victory lap with his McLaren squad and family that he was happy to have triumphed "in his own style".

Norris underscored that he feels he raced fairly and without being overly forceful, a strategy for which he has faced criticism for not displaying the much-discussed "ruthless edge". He maintains that securing the championship demonstrates such an approach is unnecessary.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the title with a third-place finish at the season finale, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a mere two points. Verstappen took the checkered flag but could not overcome the 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held going into the final round.

"This is an aspect that I am most proud of," he commented. "I feel like I have just managed to win it the way I wanted to, which was without becoming someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Choosing not to be as aggressive as Max or as forceful as other champions might have been historically, I’m content. I just won it my way – by being a sportsmanlike driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

Nerve-Wracking Finale

The champion admitted that, although he seemed calm, the closing moments were incredibly tense.

"I was composed until three corners to go, then I began to tremble a little bit," he said. "Seeing the team after taking the flag is a moment that I’ll never forget."

An Incredible Turnaround

Norris's path to the championship involved a stunning comeback from being far adrift of then-leader Oscar Piastri in the summer. A mechanical failure in Zandvoort served as a major catalyst.

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m in a deep hole against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to raise my game,’" he revealed. "I had to become more myself due to external factors, bringing in more experts in various fields to fully realize my ability."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

The reigning champion focused on the good from his and Red Bull’s season, having mounted a comeback from a 104‑point deficit. Verstappen felt they had given their all against a papaya car that was often the faster package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have no regrets about my season," Verstappen stated. "The performance has been strong. I’ve hated this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

Yet, the driver responded tersely when questioned 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 lucky breaks come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

A clearly disappointed McLaren teammate, who had led for much of the campaign, admitted he would learn from the defeat.

"Naturally 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 off the track... In the end there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."