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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the manner in which he won his first-ever Formula One world championship, emphasizing after a heartfelt victory lap with his McLaren squad and family that he was pleased to have succeeded "his way".

The champion highlighted that he feels he raced fairly and without excessive aggression, a philosophy for which he has faced criticism for lacking the often-praised "killer instinct". He maintains that winning the title proves such an approach is unnecessary.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the championship with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a mere two points. The Dutch driver took the checkered flag but could not erase the lead Norris held entering the final round.

"That's one of the things that I am most proud of," Norris said. "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, "Not trying to be as combative as Max or as forceful as other champions 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 respectful driver."

Nerve-Wracking Finale

Norris also conceded that, although he seemed calm, the closing moments were incredibly tense.

"I felt calm until the very end, then I began to tremble a bit," he said. "Seeing the team when I crossed the line is a moment that I’ll always remember."

An Incredible Turnaround

Norris's path to the championship involved a remarkable recovery from being 34 points behind of his teammate in the summer. A DNF in Zandvoort became a major catalyst.

"I thought: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m in a deep hole against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" Norris explained. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, bringing in more experts in various fields to fully realize my ability."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen focused on the good from his and Red Bull’s season, 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.

"Yes, absolutely, I have no 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 Barcelona race where a time punishment cost him valuable points.

"You forget all the other stuff that happened," he retorted. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of early Christmas presents come my way."

The Runner-Up's Reflection

The visibly dejected McLaren teammate, who had led for much of the campaign, admitted he would learn from the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wished for a slightly different ending," Piastri said. "However I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself behind the wheel and off the track... In the end there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be very proud."