In a moment of pure sporting camaraderie, Lewis Hamilton delivered a heartfelt tribute to his compatriot Lando Norris after the McLaren driver secured his first-ever Formula 1 World Championship title in Abu Dhabi.
A New British Champion is Crowned
The dramatic 2025 season concluded at the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday, 7th December, with Norris clinching the drivers' crown by finishing third in the race. Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but fell just two points short in the final championship standings. This victory makes Norris Britain's 11th F1 world champion and the first since Hamilton himself last won the title in 2020. The last British champion before Hamilton's era was Jenson Button back in 2009.
Hamilton's Proud Words for a Friend
Despite enduring a difficult first season with Ferrari, failing to secure a single podium, Hamilton sought out the new champion in the media pen post-race. The pair shared a warm embrace before the seven-time world champion offered his congratulations.
"I'm so happy for you. I told you, you could do it," Hamilton said to Norris, highlighting the strong and supportive relationship between the two drivers. Hamilton, 40, has long been an admirer of the younger driver's talent and approach.
Expanding on his feelings to the press, Hamilton added: "I'm really happy for him. Winning your first world championship is truly special. The UK continues to pump out great drivers and I know what the feeling is also when you're coming into this race and fighting for your first championship, it's nerve-wracking. I'm just really proud of him."
He also revealed he had offered Norris some key advice before the decisive weekend: "Before the weekend, I told him what he does works, so don't change anything and I guess that's what he did."
Looking Ahead to 2026
Hamilton finished the final race in eighth place, a gain of eight positions from his 16th-place grid slot. This result secured him sixth in the championship, ahead of Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, but it caps a season he will want to forget.
"At the moment I'm only looking forward to the break," a weary Hamilton admitted. "Just disconnecting. Not speaking to anyone. No one's going to be able to get a hold of me this winter. I won't have my phone with me. I'm looking forward to that. Just completely unplugged from the matrix."
Attention now turns to the next chapter, with the 2026 F1 season scheduled to begin on 8 March at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
