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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the manner in which he won his first-ever Formula One drivers' title, stressing after a heartfelt victory lap with his team and family that he was pleased to have succeeded "his way".

The champion highlighted that he believes he competed fairly and without excessive aggression, a strategy for which he has been scrutinized for not displaying the much-discussed "killer instinct". Norris argues that securing the championship proves such an approach is unnecessary.

Norris secured the championship with a P3 finish at the season finale, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. The Dutch driver won the race but could not erase the lead Norris held going into the last race.

"That's one of the things that I am most proud of," Norris said. "I feel like I have just managed to win it the way I wanted to, which was without becoming someone I’m not."

Norris added, "Choosing not to be as aggressive as Max or as forceful as other champions might have been in the past, I’m content. I just won it my way – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an respectful driver."

A Tense Conclusion

The champion admitted that, despite appearances, the final laps were incredibly tense.

"I felt calm until the very end, then I started to shake a bit," he recalled. "Then I got to see the team after taking the flag is a moment that I’ll always remember."

An Incredible Turnaround

The driver's journey to the title involved a stunning comeback from being far adrift of his teammate in the summer. A DNF in Zandvoort became a key turning point.

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. 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 professionals in different areas to unlock more of my ability."

Rival Reactions

Max Verstappen: No Regrets

The reigning champion took only positives from his team's season, having fought back from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had given their all 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 Dutchman responded tersely when questioned about a contentious moment at the Barcelona race where a time punishment lost him valuable points.

"You forget all the other events that happened," Verstappen snapped. "The title is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of lucky breaks come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

A clearly disappointed Oscar Piastri, who had led for much of the campaign, admitted 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 behind the wheel and as a person... Ultimately there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."