Lando Norris secured his maiden Formula One world championship with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, edging out title rival Max Verstappen by just two points. The 26-year-old British driver, overcome with emotion, broke down in tears after crossing the line, embracing his mother and team members in a poignant celebration at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Red Bull's Verstappen won the race, with McLaren's Oscar Piastri taking second, but Norris's podium finish was enough to clinch the title after a gruelling 24-race season. The championship marks the end of a 17-year drought for McLaren, whose last drivers' title came in 2008 with Lewis Hamilton, and the team's first drivers' and constructors' double since 1998.
Norris's path to glory was hard-fought, including a crucial overtake on Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli in the closing laps of the penultimate round in Qatar, which earned him the decisive two-point margin. McLaren's resurgence, led by CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella, turned around a team that finished ninth in the constructors' championship in the mid-2010s.
Piastri, in his third F1 season, demonstrated world champion potential with seven wins, while Verstappen, who fought back from a 104-point deficit in August, expressed no disappointment, stating his team gave their all. Norris becomes the 11th British driver to win the F1 world championship.
