Abu Dhabi: Lando Norris produced a flawless performance to clinch the F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and give McLaren Racing their first world title after 26 years at the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday.
"We are the world champions," Lando Norris echoed on the team radio after taking the chequred flag to win the race in Abu Dhabi. The words summed up the trouble that the British ace had to endure this season and in the finale.
Starting from pole, the Brit kept the Ferrari duo — Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc— at bay to ensure the slender lead is preserved to give the constructors title to his team, who had previously won the title in 1998.
Targets drivers' title
Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri finished behind the Ferraris in 10th to end a successful campaign for McLaren.
“This is a historic moment for the team,” Norris said. “They’re going to want to celebrate, and so am I. It’s going to be a good night.
“My goal and our goal is to win a Drivers’ title next year. I’ve made mistakes this year, but I’ve learned a lot—from Max [Verstappen] and my competitors. As much as I’m happy now, I’m already excited to get next year going.”
A season of triumph
After Max Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship in Las Vegas, attention turned to the Constructors’ battle. McLaren entered the Abu Dhabi finale with a 21-point lead over Ferrari. Norris delivered a flawless performance, taking McLaren’s points tally to 666, leaving Ferrari trailing at 652.
However, the race was not without drama. A chaotic start saw Verstappen’s Red Bull make contact with Piastri at Turn 1. The incident forced the Australian into the pits for repairs and handed Verstappen a 10-second penalty.
Piastri quipped over the radio, “Yep, move of a world champion, that one,” as frustration simmered. He later received an identical penalty for a collision with Franco Colapinto’s Williams.
1.Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren), 1hr 26min 33.291sec, 2.Carlos Sainz (ESP/Ferrari) at 5.832s, 3.Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 31.928, 4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 36.483, 5. George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 37.538, 6. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 49.847, 7. Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine) 1:12.560, 8. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Haas) 1:15.554, 9. Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin) 1:22.373, 10. Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren) 1:23.821, 11. Alex Albon (THA/Williams) 1 lap, 12.Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/RB) 1 lap, 13. Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Sauber) 1 lap, 14. Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin) 1 lap, 15. Jack Doohan (AUS/Alpine) 1 lap, 16. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas) 1 lap, 17. Liam Lawson (NZL/RB) 3 laps.
Fastest lap: Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas) 1:25.637.
DNF:
Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull), Franco Colapinto (ARG/Williams), Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Sauber), Liam Lawson (NZL/RB)
World championship standings
Drivers:
1. Max Verstappen (NED) 437 pts - world champion, 2. Lando Norris (GBR) 374, 3. Charles Leclerc (MON) 356, 4. Oscar Piastri (AUS) 292, 5. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) 290, 6. George Russell (GBR) 245, 7. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 223, 8. Sergio Perez (MEX) 152, 9. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 70, 10. Pierre Gasly (FRA) 42, 11. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) 41, 12. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) 30, 13. Lance Stroll (CAN) 24, 14. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 23, 15. Kevin Magnussen (DEN) 16, 16. Alexander Albon (THA) 12, 17. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) 12, 18. Oliver Bearman (GBR) 7, 19. Franco Colapinto (ARG) 5, 20. Zhou Guanyu (CHN) 4, 21. Liam Lawson (NZL) 4, 22. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) 0, 23. Logan Sargeant (USA) 0, 24. Jack Doohan (AUS) 0.
Constructors
1. McLaren 666 pts - world champions, 2. Ferrari 652, 3. Red Bull 589, 4. Mercedes 468, 5. Aston Martin 94, 6. Alpine 65, 7. Haas 58, 8. RB 46, 9. Williams 17, 10. Sauber 4.
Verstappen, now at risk of a race ban next season if he accrues four more penalty points, expressed regret. “Honestly, I don’t want to talk about it,” he said. “I’m just happy the season is over. I apologised to Oscar because I had nothing to gain and nothing to lose. He’s a friend, and I don’t want this to affect us.”
A milestone achievement
Norris’ dominance ensured McLaren faced no further setbacks in what has been a dream season for the 25-year-old. “Congrats to everyone. Incredible. I’m so proud of you all—you deserve this. Thank you. It’s been a special one. Next year is going to be my year, too,” he added.
Since debuting with McLaren in 2019, Norris has shown consistent improvement. After his first podium in 2020 and a Pole Position in 2021, he finished this season as runner-up to Verstappen with 374 points.
Looking ahead
While McLaren’s prospects for next year are bright, Ferrari faces changes. Sainz, after a four-year stint, will move to Williams, with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton set to join Ferrari.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling today,” Sainz admitted. “P2 was the maximum we could do given Lando’s pace. I gave it everything.”
Leclerc, who started 19th on the grid, fought his way to third but acknowledged the uphill battle. “I had to be aggressive on Lap 1 to gain positions, and that worked. But we were just too far back to do more.”
After 24 races—the longest season in F1 history—the engines now fall silent. Teams and drivers will soon refocus as they prepare to chase glory in 2025.
