Lando Norris did it his way, but can he do it in 2026 too?

For the British driver who won his first Fl title, it will now be about emulating past serial champions

- Ashish Magotra

There's a lot that goes into winning an Fl title - the right car, the right team, the largesse of the stewards and the weather gods, skill, talent, tenacity, and some luck.

In his seventh Fl season, Lando Norris had the rub of the green and displayed enough pace at other times to become the 35th driver to clinch the title in Fl's 75-year history. He also became the first FIA Formula 2 graduate to take the Formula 1 crown.

The tense and emotional season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was dominated by strategy and tactics but that was pretty much the theme of the season.

For much of the year the calm and collected Oscar Piastri, Norris' McLaren teammate, appeared to hold the upper hand and three wins in Bahrain, Jeddah and Miami put him in pole position. Norris was at his lowest point but from there, he found a way back.

That itself is as worth of praise as his driving flair. But Norris himself is proudest of his refusal to conform to traditional expectations of elite sportsmen.