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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the approach in which he won his first-ever Formula One drivers' title, emphasizing after emotional celebrations with his team and family that he was pleased to have triumphed "his way".

The champion highlighted that he believes he competed cleanly and without being overly forceful, a philosophy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the often-praised "killer instinct". He maintains that winning the championship proves such an mentality is not essential.

Norris secured the title with a P3 finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, edging out Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. Verstappen took the checkered flag but could not erase the 12-point advantage Norris held going into the last race.

"This is an aspect that I am most proud of," he commented. "I believe I have just managed to win it the way I aimed to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Choosing not to be as aggressive as Max or as assertive as other title-winners might have been in the past, I’m happy. I just won it my way – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

A Tense Conclusion

The champion admitted that, although he seemed calm, the final laps were incredibly tense.

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

An Incredible Turnaround

The driver's journey to the championship involved a remarkable recovery from being far adrift of his teammate in the summer. A mechanical failure in Zandvoort served as a key turning point.

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m quite a long way behind against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" he revealed. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, bringing in more experts in various fields to unlock more of my potential."

Competitors' Responses

Max Verstappen: No Regrets

Max Verstappen took only positives from his and Red Bull’s performances, having mounted a comeback from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had done everything possible against a McLaren that was often the faster package.

"Yes, absolutely, I have no regrets about my season," he said. "Our pace has been impressive. I’ve hated this car at times, but I’ve also loved 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," he retorted. "The title is won over a full season... I have also had a lot of early Christmas presents come my way."

The Runner-Up's Reflection

The visibly dejected Oscar Piastri, who had led for much of the campaign, admitted he would learn from the experience.

"Naturally I would have wanted a slightly different ending," Piastri said. "But I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself as a driver and off the track... Ultimately there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be very proud."