ABU DHABI — Lando Norris secured his first Formula 1 championship at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, finishing third as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the race and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri took second. Norris’ podium result left him two points clear of Verstappen in the final standings, with Piastri third overall, 13 points adrift.
The 26-year-old Briton became the first British champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2020 and prevented Verstappen from claiming a fifth consecutive title. Entering the finale, Norris led a three-way title fight — 12 points ahead of Verstappen and 16 ahead of Piastri. Verstappen started on pole, Norris lined up alongside him on the front row, and Piastri began third. Verstappen needed Norris to finish fourth or lower to reclaim the title, while Norris would have lost the championship if he finished outside the top five and Piastri won.
Despite a late-season surge from Verstappen, whose victory in Abu Dhabi marked his eighth win of the year and the 71st of his career, Norris held his nerve under intense pressure. Earlier in the campaign both McLaren drivers had shared the championship lead at various points but faced setbacks from driver errors and strategic missteps — problems that made the finale a tense affair.
McLaren’s motorhome erupted in celebration after the checkered flag. Team CEO Zak Brown joined the radio jubilation, saying, “Lando, this is Zak from McLaren. Is this the world champion hotline? You did it! You did it! Awesome.” Norris, overcome with emotion, replied, “Oh my God, thanks so much. I love you guys. Thanks for everything,” and then broke down in tears. After the race he sat in his car for a moment, embraced his parents at the pitlane, and celebrated with McLaren engineers and mechanics.