Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports
Topics: Formula 1, Lando Norris, McLaren
Jack Kenmare
He's done it. Lando Norris has won the F1 World Drivers' Championship for the first time in his career – and his immediate reaction over the McLaren team radio was emotional, to say the least.
Norris, who becomes the first British driver to win the championship since Lewis Hamilton in 2020, finished third in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, behind teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Coming into the much-anticipated decider, Norris needed a podium finish to secure his maiden world title and he did just that, winning the championship by just two points after Verstappen finished first at Yas Marina.
Speaking in the immediate aftermath of his title win, Norris was incredibly emotional over the team radio.
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"Thank you guys," he said after being called a world champion. "Oh my god. You made a kid's dream come true. Thanks so much. I love you guys. Thanks for everything. You deserve it."
He added: "I love you, Mom. I love you, Dad. Thanks for everything. Oh, I'm crying."
Max Verstappen, who claimed his 71st win in Formula One on Sunday, delivered a telling reaction of his own after losing the F1 Drivers' Championship to Norris by the smallest of margins.
The four-time world champion clawed back a significant points tally to take the championship to the final race in Abu Dhabi and, after qualifying in pole position, the Red Bull driver came out on top.
But it wasn't enough to secure a fifth world championship in a row as McLaren's Norris finished in third.
Yuki Tsunoda tried his best to help out Red Bull teammate Verstappen, but the Japanese driver ended up being given a five-second penalty for forcing Norris off track with "more than one change of direction".
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was Verstappen's final hope, but he couldn't catch up to Norris, who did enough to get on the podium and make history by becoming the 35th different driver to win the world title.
As mentioned above, Norris finished just two points ahead of Verstappen, who showed his class with his team radio message.
"I confess, guys, when we come back in our second half of the season, we can be really, really proud of that. So don't be too disappointed. I'm definitely not disappointed. I'm really proud of everyone. We never give up," he said.
"Pushing, never giving up, believing in making it a success again, even when it's really difficult."
"So, thank you very much everyone. And also thank you to Honda for all these years together and all these amazing successes that we have had," added Verstappen. "And we definitely also close it in style. So, thank you very much for that."