Lando Norris dethrones Max Verstappen as F1 champion

Lando Norris is connected apical of the world.

Norris finished successful 3rd spot astatine Formula 1’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix connected Sunday night, but managed to bash capable to bent connected to the Drivers’ World Championship. He finished 2 points up of Max Verstappen and 13 points up of chap McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.

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McLaren operator Lando Norris of Britain celebrates aft becoming a satellite champion aft the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix astatine the Yas Marina Circuit successful Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Norris was successful tears arsenic helium credited his household and his McLaren squad connected helping him get done a "long journey."

"It feels amazing. I present cognize what Max feels similar a small bit," Norris said. "… I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a agelong year, but we did it. I’m truthful arrogant of everyone."

He’s the 35th operator to triumph an F1 World Championship. The standings got existent choky down the extremity of the season. Norris won the archetypal contention of the season, but Piastri captured 4 wins successful the adjacent 5 races. Verstappen, then, won his 2nd contention earlier Norris did.

Norris and Piastri would bash astir of the winning successful the mediate of the play earlier Verstappen ended his eight-race drought without being connected apical of the podium. The Red Bull operator would vigor up pursuing his triumph astatine the Italian Grand Prix.

McLaren operator Lando Norris of Britain reacts aft becoming a satellite champion aft the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix successful Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.  (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

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Verstappen won six of the past 9 races and made a surge to the apical of the leaderboard. Norris and Piastri unintentionally made the contention to the World Championship absorbing erstwhile they were some disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Verstappen and Piastri would request Norris to truly gaffe up to person a amended accidental astatine winning the championship, but the British superstar operator held it unneurotic and claimed the archetypal F1 rubric of his career.

Norris ends Verstappen’s reign arsenic satellite champion. The Red Bull prima won the past 4 World Championships. Lewis Hamilton was the past operator not named Verstappen to prime up an F1 title, but helium had a stranglehold connected the athletics from 2014 to 2020 with the lone twelvemonth helium didn’t triumph was successful 2016 (Nico Rosberg).

McLaren operator Lando Norris of Britain crosses the decorativeness enactment to go the wprld champion during the Formula One Grand Prix successful Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.  (Andrej Isakovic, Pool via AP)

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Norris is the archetypal McLaren operator to triumph since Hamilton did it successful 2008.

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