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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the approach in which he won his inaugural Formula One world championship, stressing after emotional celebrations with his team and family that he was pleased to have triumphed "his way".

Norris underscored that he believes he competed cleanly and without excessive aggression, a strategy for which he has been scrutinized for not displaying the often-praised "ruthless edge". Norris argues that winning the title proves such an approach is unnecessary.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the title with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating 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 going into the last race.

"This is an aspect that I am most proud of," he commented. "I feel like I have just been able to secure it the way I aimed to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

Norris added, "Not trying to be as combative as Max or as forceful as other title-winners 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."

Nerve-Wracking Finale

Norris also conceded that, although he seemed calm, the closing moments were nerve-jangling.

"I was composed until the very end, then I started to shake a little bit," he said. "Then I got to see the team when I crossed the line is a moment that I’ll always remember."

An Incredible Turnaround

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

"I thought: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m quite a long way behind against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" Norris explained. "I got to be more myself due to external factors, bringing in more experts 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 performances, having fought back from a 104‑point deficit. Verstappen felt they had done everything possible against a McLaren that was the superior package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have no regrets about my season," he said. "The performance has been impressive. I’ve hated this car at times, but I’ve also excelled in it at times."

However, the driver reacted testily when asked about a controversial incident at the Spanish GP where a time punishment lost him critical points.

"People overlook all the other stuff that happened," Verstappen snapped. "The title is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of lucky breaks given to me."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

A clearly disappointed Oscar Piastri, who had led for much of the season, admitted he would emerge stronger the defeat.

"Naturally I would have wished for a different ending," he stated. "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 little bit of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."