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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, emphasizing after emotional celebrations with his team and family that he was pleased to have succeeded "in his own style".

Norris underscored that he feels he raced fairly and without being overly forceful, a philosophy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the often-praised "ruthless edge". He maintains that securing the title demonstrates such an mentality is unnecessary.

Norris wrapped up the title with a P3 finish at the season finale, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a mere two points. Verstappen took the checkered flag but could not erase the 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held entering the final round.

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

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

A Tense Conclusion

Norris also conceded that, despite appearances, the final laps were nerve-jangling.

"I felt calm until the very end, then I started to shake 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

The driver's journey to the championship involved a stunning comeback from being far adrift of his teammate in August. A DNF in Zandvoort served as a major catalyst.

"I was like: ‘Oh no. I’m quite a long way behind against a seriously quick 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 different areas to unlock more of my ability."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen took only positives from his and Red Bull’s season, having fought back from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had done everything possible against a papaya car that was often the faster package.

"Yes, absolutely, I have no regrets about my season," Verstappen stated. "The performance has been impressive. I’ve hated this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

However, the Dutchman reacted testily when questioned about a controversial incident at the Barcelona race where a time punishment lost him valuable points.

"You forget all the other events that happened," Verstappen snapped. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of lucky breaks given to me."

The Runner-Up's Reflection

The visibly dejected Oscar Piastri, who had led for much of the campaign, admitted he would learn from the defeat.

"Naturally I would have wanted a slightly different ending," he stated. "However I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself behind the wheel and off the track... Ultimately there’s a touch of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."