McLaren’s Lando Norris won his first Formula 1 drivers’ championship by finishing third in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old won the title by two points from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who won the race to take his eighth victory of the year, one more than the Briton and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
McLaren were always in control of a race packed with tension even though Verstappen was on course for victory from the first lap, because Piastri finished second and was in a position to help Norris if needed.
Norris becomes the 11th British F1 world champion at the end of his seventh season in F1, a year that he started slowly but in which he came on strong in the second half of the year.
And it is McLaren’s first drivers’ and constructors’ title double since 1998.
“I’ve not cried in a while and I didn’t think I would cry but I did,” said a jubilant Norris.
“I mean, it feels amazing, I now know what Max feels like. I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competitors the whole season.
“It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them and an honour, I’ve learned a lot from both of them as well.
“I’ve enjoyed it and it has been a long year but we did it and I’m so proud of everyone.”
While the McLaren has been the fastest car on balance this season, Norris’ championship will be given added credibility by the fact that he won it in the face of a tough challenge from Verstappen, who is widely acknowledged as the finest driver of his generation.
Norris cried in his car on the slowing-down lap as he accepted the congratulations of his team and thanked them and his family for getting him into a place to fulfil his lifetime ambition. A battle between Norris and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda as the Japanese sought to help out Verstappen mid-race and a brief threat of a penalty for the McLaren driver A dominant victory from Verstappen to crown perhaps the most impressive year of his career
As the race finally started after a nervy weekend for McLaren, the pressure was high after the team had suffered two difficult races in the grands prix preceding this one.
A double disqualification in Las Vegas followed by a botched strategy that handed Verstappen victory in Qatar had upped the stakes for McLaren at the end of a year in which they won the constructors’ title with six races to go.
Norris took a cautious approach to the start, not engaging with Verstappen as the Dutchman aggressively defended his lead from pole position on the run to the first corner.
Halfway around the lap, Piastri swept around the outside of Norris at the long left-hander of Turn Nine, an apparent strategic move to bring the Australian into play for the victory against Verstappen.
Piastri was on hard tyres and Verstappen and Norris on medium, so the plan was to run long and give Red Bull something to consider and reduce the risk of him backing up the field to Norris’ disadvantage.
Norris was left to battle with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for third place but was always in control.
And after a second tyre stop for Norris to mirror Leclerc’s two-stop strategy, the Briton closed in on Piastri in the final laps.
By BBC Sports
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