Norris battles nerves, rivals to be crowned Fl champion

No matter how calm he sounded on the radio, Lando Norris was going through a plethora of emotions, handling his nerves and extreme pressure under the yellow-and-black crash helmet at an intensely fought season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

- Sandip Sikdar

Starting second, he had already been passed by McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in brilliant move on Lap], pushing him to third. Finishing one spot lower and out of podium would have meant the world championship slipping out of his grasp.

The 26-year-old then came under pressure from the Ferrari of fourth-placed Charles Leclere. But the Briton defended well and kept himself out of the Ferrari’s DRS range to take the chequered flag in third place—exactly what was required of him — to be crowned the 35th champion in the 75-year history of Formula 1. “Oh God. I've not cried in a while and I didn’t think I would cry, but I did,” said an emotional but jubilant Norris as he removed his helmet after becoming McLaren's first world champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2008. “It's incredible. It is pretty surreal. I've dreamed of this for a long, long time.”