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Lando Norris has declared he is deeply satisfied of the manner in which he won his first-ever Formula One world championship, stressing after a heartfelt victory lap with his team and family that he was pleased to have triumphed "his way".

The champion highlighted that he feels he raced cleanly and without being overly forceful, a philosophy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the often-praised "ruthless edge". He maintains that securing the championship proves such an mentality is unnecessary.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the championship with a third-place finish at the season finale, edging out Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. Verstappen took the checkered flag but could not overcome the 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held going into the last race.

"This is an aspect that I am most proud of," he commented. "I feel like I have just managed to win it the way I wanted to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

Norris added, "Not trying to be as combative as Max or as assertive as other champions might have been in the past, I’m happy. I just won it my way – by being a sportsmanlike driver, by trying to be an respectful driver."

A Tense Conclusion

The champion admitted that, although he seemed calm, the final laps were nerve-jangling.

"I was composed until the very end, 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 always remember."

An Incredible Turnaround

The driver's journey to the title involved a remarkable recovery from being far adrift of his teammate in the summer. A mechanical failure in the Dutch Grand Prix became a key turning point.

"I thought: ‘Oh no. I’m in a deep hole against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" he revealed. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, bringing in more experts in different areas to fully realize my potential."

Competitors' Responses

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen took only positives from his and Red Bull’s season, having fought back from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had given their all against a McLaren that was often the faster package.

"Yes, absolutely, I have no regrets about my season," he said. "The performance has been strong. I’ve struggled with this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

However, the Dutchman responded tersely when asked about a controversial incident at the Spanish GP where a penalty lost him critical 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 given to me."

The Runner-Up's Reflection

The visibly dejected Oscar Piastri, who was in front for much of the campaign, reflected he would learn from the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wished for a different ending," he stated. "But 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."