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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the manner in which he clinched his first-ever Formula One drivers' title, emphasizing after a heartfelt victory lap with his team and family that he was happy to have triumphed "his way".

Norris underscored that he believes he competed fairly and without excessive aggression, a strategy for which he has been scrutinized for not displaying the often-praised "killer instinct". Norris argues that winning the championship demonstrates such an approach is not essential.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the championship with a P3 finish at the season finale, edging out his rival from Red Bull by a mere two points. Verstappen won the race but could not erase the 12-point advantage Norris 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 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 title-winners 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 nerve-jangling.

"I felt calm until three corners to go, then I started to shake a little bit," he recalled. "Seeing the team after taking the flag is a memory that I’ll never forget."

A Remarkable Comeback

Norris's path to the championship involved a remarkable recovery from being far adrift of his teammate in August. A DNF in Zandvoort became 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, working with more experts in different areas to unlock more of my ability."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

The reigning champion took only positives from his and Red Bull’s season, having fought back from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had given their all against a McLaren that was often the faster package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have no regrets about my season," he said. "Our pace has been strong. I’ve struggled with this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

Yet, the driver reacted testily when asked about a controversial incident at the Spanish GP where a penalty lost him valuable points.

"People overlook all the other events that happened," he retorted. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of early Christmas presents come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

A clearly disappointed McLaren teammate, who had led for much of the campaign, reflected 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 extremely pleased."