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Lando Norris has declared he is deeply satisfied of the manner in which he won his inaugural Formula One world championship, emphasizing after emotional celebrations with his team and family that he was happy to have succeeded "his way".

Norris underscored that he feels he raced cleanly and without excessive aggression, a strategy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the much-discussed "ruthless edge". He maintains that securing the title demonstrates such an mentality is not essential.

The 26-year-old secured the championship with a third-place finish at the season finale, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. The Dutch driver won the race but could not overcome the 12-point advantage Norris held entering the last race.

"That's one of the things that I am most proud of," Norris said. "I feel like I have just been able to secure it the way I aimed to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Not trying to be as aggressive as Max or as assertive as other title-winners might have been historically, I’m content. I just did it my style – by being a sportsmanlike driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

A Tense Conclusion

The champion admitted that, although he seemed calm, the closing moments were incredibly tense.

"I felt calm until the very end, then I began to tremble a little bit," he recalled. "Seeing the team when I crossed the line is a moment that I’ll never forget."

An Incredible Turnaround

The driver's journey to the championship involved a remarkable recovery from being far adrift of then-leader Oscar Piastri in the summer. A mechanical failure in the Dutch Grand Prix became a major catalyst.

"I thought: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m in a deep hole against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to raise my game,’" Norris explained. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, working with more professionals in various fields to unlock more of my ability."

Competitors' Responses

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen focused on the good from his and Red Bull’s season, having mounted a comeback from a massive points gap. He believed they had done everything possible against a McLaren that was the superior package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have no regrets about my season," he said. "Our pace has been impressive. I’ve hated this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

Yet, the driver responded tersely when asked about a controversial incident at the Barcelona race where a penalty lost him critical points.

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

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

The visibly dejected McLaren teammate, who was in front for much of the campaign, reflected he would emerge stronger the defeat.

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