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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the approach in which he won his first-ever Formula One world championship, stressing after emotional celebrations with his McLaren squad and family that he was happy to have triumphed "in his own style".

Norris underscored that he believes he competed cleanly and without excessive aggression, a strategy for which he has faced criticism for not displaying the much-discussed "ruthless edge". He maintains that securing the title demonstrates such an mentality is unnecessary.

The 26-year-old secured the championship with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. The Dutch driver won the race but could not overcome the 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held going into the last race.

"This is an aspect that makes me most proud," he commented. "I feel like I have just been able to secure 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 in the past, I’m content. I just won it my way – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

A Tense Conclusion

Norris also conceded that, although he seemed calm, the final laps were incredibly tense.

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

An Incredible Turnaround

Norris's path to the championship involved a stunning comeback from being 34 points behind of his teammate in the summer. A DNF in Zandvoort served as a major catalyst.

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m quite a long way behind against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" he revealed. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, working with more professionals in various fields to fully realize my potential."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

The reigning champion focused on the good from his team's season, having fought back from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had given their all against a papaya car that was the superior package.

"Yes, absolutely, I have no regrets about my season," he said. "The performance has been impressive. I’ve struggled with 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 Barcelona race where a penalty lost him valuable points.

"People overlook all the other events 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 campaign, admitted he would learn from the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wanted a slightly different ending," Piastri said. "However I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount 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 very proud."