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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the approach in which he clinched his inaugural Formula One world championship, emphasizing after a heartfelt victory lap with his McLaren squad and family that he was happy to have succeeded "his way".

Norris underscored that he feels he raced fairly and without excessive aggression, a philosophy for which he has been scrutinized for not displaying the often-praised "killer instinct". He maintains that securing the championship demonstrates such an approach is not essential.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the title with a P3 finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating his rival from Red Bull by a mere two points. The Dutch driver took the checkered flag but could not overcome the 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held going into the final round.

"This is an aspect that I am most proud of," Norris said. "I believe I have just been able to secure it the way I aimed to, which was without becoming someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Not trying to be as aggressive as Max or as forceful as other champions might have been historically, I’m happy. I just won it my way – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an respectful driver."

Nerve-Wracking Finale

Norris also conceded that, despite appearances, the closing moments were nerve-jangling.

"I felt calm until the very end, then I started to shake a bit," he said. "Then I got to see the team when I crossed the line is a memory that I’ll never forget."

A Remarkable Comeback

The driver's journey to the title involved a remarkable recovery from being 34 points behind of his teammate in the summer. A DNF in the Dutch Grand Prix served as a major catalyst.

"I thought: ‘Oh no. I’m quite a long way behind against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" Norris explained. "I had to become more myself because of external factors, bringing in more experts in different areas to fully realize my ability."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen focused on the good from his and Red Bull’s season, having mounted a comeback from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had given their all against a McLaren that was often the faster package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have no regrets about my season," he said. "Our pace has been strong. I’ve struggled with this car at times, but I’ve also excelled in it at times."

Yet, the Dutchman responded tersely when questioned about a contentious moment at the Barcelona race where a penalty cost him valuable points.

"You forget all the other stuff that happened," Verstappen snapped. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of early Christmas presents given to me."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

The visibly dejected Oscar Piastri, who had led for much of the season, reflected he would learn from the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wanted a different ending," he stated. "But I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself as a driver and off the track... In the end there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be very proud."