'SURREAL' TITLE FOR NORRIS

Briton praises 'incredible' team, says he learnt a lot from rivals Verstappen, Piastri

- 

McLaren's Lando Norris crying on the podium after his third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Dec 7, when the Briton dethroned Max Verstappen to become the Formula One world champion for the very first time.

(PHOTO: EPA)

McLaren's Lando Norris broke down in tears of joy on Dec 7, as he celebrated his first Formula One world championship title victory and ended Max Verstappen's four-year reign with a nervy third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Verstappen, winner of more races (eight) than any driver in 2025, triumphed in the season-ending race with McLaren's Oscar Piastri coming in second.

But Norris, who became Britain's Ilth Formula One world champion, ended the season with 423 points to Verstappen's 421 and Piastri's 410.

McLaren, who secured the constructors' championship at the Singapore Grand Prix in October for the second year in a row, won both the constructors' and drivers' titles in the same season for the first time since 1998.

"I've not cried in a while! I didn't think I would cry but I did," said Norris.