Lando Norris was crowned Britain’s 11th world champion in a cagey season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which never quite ignited into the classic it had promised.
It lacked the dramatics too of past races at Yas Marina such as Max Verstappen’s last-lap thriller with Lewis Hamilton in 2021 or Sebastian Vettel wresting the title away from Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber. But it was still a nervy 58 laps to the chequered flag with Norris knowing he needed to finish in the top three with Verstappen dominating the race in order to win a maiden world title.
The 26-year-old did just that, holding off a chasing Charles Leclerc, being pushed off track by Verstappen’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda and pulling off a bold double overtake on Lance Stroll and Liam Lawson.
It gave him the title by just two points from Verstappen, who took his eighth race win of the season, one more than each of the McLaren drivers following a remarkable turnaround after a difficult first half to the season on and off the track.
The Dutchman had threatened to derail McLaren’s dominance having clawed back a 104-point deficit to be just 12 points behind Norris at the 24th and final race of a marathon season. In winning the grand prix, he did everything he could as did Norris in P3 with Piastri a place in front.Formula 1’s 35th world champion burst into tears in the cockpit as he thanked his team and his parents, so too in an emotional post-race interview on the grid.
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Lando Norris celebrates with Andrea Stella, team principal of McLaren
He said: “It feels amazing. I now know what Max feels like a little bit. I want to congratulate Max and Oscar. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a long year but we did it. I’m so proud of everyone. It’s been a long journey with McLaren.”
There was a heart-in-mouth moment on lap 23 when Tsunoda, who had been told by Red Bull to defend aggressively, forced Norris off track
There was intrigue before the race had even started with the McLarens on separate tyre compounds and, as it turned out, different strategies, Norris opting for two stops while Piastri, like Verstappen, did just one stop.Any sense that Norris might be conservative off the start proved unfounded. He got a good getaway but could not get past Verstappen who cut across the track aggressively to lead on turn one. By the end of the lap, Norris was passed by Piastri too and had to fend off the challenge of Leclerc.
Lando Norris during the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix
There was a heart-in-mouth moment on lap 23 when Tsunoda, who had been told by Red Bull to defend aggressively, forced Norris off track. They avoided coming together although race stewards announced an investigation into the Briton for gaining an advantage in coming off track. In the end, it came to nothing although Tsunoda got a five-second penalty for his part in it.
Norris might not have had a race-winning drive but it was still one deserving of a champion thanks to a combination of his pass on Tsunoda, the double overtake that preceded it four laps earlier and his management of the hour-and-a-half long race.
For Verstappen and Piastri, there will be the what ifs to dissect of a rollercoaster season as there would have been for Norris had the tables been turned.
And McLaren CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella will be breathing a joint sigh of relief having stuck to their guns of “Papaya rules” and backed both drivers equally until the end.
Norris was adamant beforehand he was not feeling the pressure and that a championship title would not define him. But in joining his esteemed countrymen such as rival Hamilton, Sir Jackie Stewart and Damon Hill, who were both in attendance, the result of Abu Dhabi and the previous 23 races will do just that.
Photograph by David Davies/PA, Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images, Giuseppe Cacace/ AFP via Getty Images