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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, stressing after emotional celebrations with his team and family that he was pleased to have triumphed "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 much-discussed "ruthless edge". He maintains that winning the championship demonstrates such an mentality is not essential.

Norris secured the title with a P3 finish at the season finale, beating his rival from Red Bull by a mere two points. Verstappen won the race but could not erase the 12-point advantage Norris held going into the final round.

"That's one of the things that makes me most proud," he commented. "I believe I have just been able to secure it the way I aimed to, which was without becoming someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Choosing not to be as aggressive as Max or as assertive as other title-winners might have been historically, I’m happy. I just did it my style – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an respectful driver."

A Tense Conclusion

Norris also conceded that, although he seemed calm, the final laps were incredibly tense.

"I was composed until three corners to go, then I started to shake a little bit," he recalled. "Then I got to see the team when I crossed the line is a memory that I’ll never forget."

An Incredible Turnaround

The driver's journey to the championship involved a stunning comeback from being far adrift of then-leader Oscar Piastri in the summer. A DNF in Zandvoort served as a major catalyst.

"I thought: ‘Oh no. I’m quite a long way behind against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to raise my game,’" he revealed. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, bringing in more experts in different areas to unlock more of my ability."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen took only positives from his and Red Bull’s performances, having mounted a comeback from a massive points gap. He believed they had given their all against a McLaren that was often the faster package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have zero 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."

However, the driver reacted testily when asked about a controversial incident at the Barcelona race where a penalty lost him valuable points.

"People overlook all the other events that happened," he retorted. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of lucky breaks come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

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

"Obviously I would have wished for a different ending," he stated. "However I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself as a driver and as a person... Ultimately there’s a touch of disappointment but I think I can be very proud."