NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Lando Norris is on top of the world.
Norris finished third at Formula One’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday night but managed to do enough to hang on to the world drivers’ championship. He finished two points ahead of Max Verstappen and 13 points ahead of colleague from McLaren, Oscar Piastri.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Great Britain celebrates after becoming world champion after the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Norris was in tears as he credited his family and his McLaren team for helping him through a “long journey”.
“It feels great. I know now how Max feels,” Norris said. “… I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a long year, but we did it. I’m so proud of everyone.”
He is the 35th driver to win an F1 World Championship. The position got really tight at the end of the season. Norris won the first race of the season, but Piastri captured four wins in the next five races. Verstappen thus won his second race before Norris did.
Norris and Piastri would take most of the wins midway through the season before Verstappen ended his eight-race drought without a top podium finish. The Red Bull driver wanted to warm up after his victory at the Italian Grand Prix.
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Great Britain reacts after becoming world champion following the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
KAULIG RACING, RAM Unveils UNIQUE FREE AGENT PROGRAM FOR 2026 NASCAR TRUCK SERIES
Verstappen won six of the last nine races and achieved a rise to the top of the standings. Norris and Piastri inadvertently made the race for the world championship interesting when they were both disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Verstappen and Piastri would need Norris to really slip away to have a better chance of winning the championship, but the British superstar driver held it together and claimed the first F1 title of his career.
Norris ends Verstappen’s reign as world champion. The Red Bull star won the last four world championships. Lewis Hamilton was the last driver not named Verstappen to pick up an F1 title, but he had a stranglehold on the sport from 2014 to 2020 and the only year he didn’t win was in 2016 (Nico Rosberg).
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Great Britain crosses the finish line to become wprld champion during the Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Andrej Isakovic, Pool via AP)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
Norris is the first McLaren driver to win since Hamilton did it in 2008.
