Lando Norris clinched his first Formula One World Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, finishing third to secure enough points ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri and four-time champion Max Verstappen. Verstappen won the race, but Norris’s points lead remained insurmountable. Piastri finished second, giving McLaren a 2-3 finish.
This is McLaren’s first Drivers’ Championship since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, marking a remarkable achievement for the 26-year-old Briton.
Norris has faced criticism for being mentally fragile, overconfident, or privileged, and has dealt with booing, on-track mistakes—including collisions with Piastri—and skepticism about his “killer instinct.” Despite this, he has consistently proven doubters wrong.
A former 2013 world karting champion, Norris became Britain’s 11th Formula One world champion since the 1950s. He previously held the record for the most podiums without a win (15 podiums, eight runner-up finishes in 110 races), earning the nickname “Lando No-wins.”
Norris converted pole positions into victories this season, including a win at the Melbourne opener. Out of his seven wins in 2025, five came from pole position.
While widely celebrated, some debates persist—especially in Australia—about McLaren’s alleged favoritism toward Norris over local hero Piastri.
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