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Lando Norris has declared he is deeply satisfied of the approach in which he won his first-ever Formula One drivers' title, stressing after a heartfelt victory lap with his team and family that he was happy to have triumphed "his way".

The champion highlighted that he feels he raced cleanly and without excessive aggression, a philosophy for which he has been scrutinized for not displaying the often-praised "killer instinct". Norris argues that securing the championship proves such an approach is unnecessary.

The 26-year-old secured the championship with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating his rival from Red Bull by a mere two points. Verstappen took the checkered flag but could not erase the 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held entering the last race.

"That's one of the things 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 not by being someone I’m not."

Norris added, "Not trying to be as combative as Max or as forceful as other title-winners might have been in the past, I’m happy. I just won it my way – by being a sportsmanlike driver, by trying to be an respectful driver."

Nerve-Wracking Finale

The champion admitted that, despite appearances, 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 moment that I’ll never forget."

An Incredible Turnaround

The driver's journey to the title involved a remarkable recovery from being 34 points behind of his teammate in August. A mechanical failure in the Dutch Grand Prix became a major catalyst.

"I thought: ‘Oh no. I’m in a deep hole against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to raise my game,’" Norris explained. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, working with more experts in various fields to fully realize my potential."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen focused on the good from his and Red Bull’s performances, having fought back from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had given their all against a papaya car that was often the faster package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have zero regrets about my season," Verstappen stated. "The performance has been strong. I’ve hated this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

However, the driver responded tersely when questioned about a contentious moment at the Spanish GP where a time punishment cost him valuable points.

"People overlook all the other stuff that happened," Verstappen snapped. "The title is won over a full season... I have also had a lot of early Christmas presents come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

The visibly dejected Oscar Piastri, who had led for much of the campaign, reflected he would emerge stronger the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wanted a slightly different ending," he stated. "But I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself as a driver and as a person... Ultimately there’s a touch of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."