Lando Norris clinched the Drivers’ Championship title, becoming the 11th British driver to achieve this feat by finishing third at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Going into the weekend, Norris held a 12-point lead over Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, with his teammate Oscar Piastri also in contention, trailing Verstappen by four points.
Norris missed a chance to secure the championship in Qatar due to a strategic error by McLaren that allowed Verstappen to snatch victory. Therefore, the pressure was on Norris as he headed to Abu Dhabi aiming for the title.
Qualifying saw Norris secure second place on the grid, just behind Verstappen and ahead of Piastri. In the race, Norris had a strong start but was overtaken by Piastri, who made a bold move early on. He then faced pressure from Charles Leclerc, who showed impressive race pace.
Norris pitted early to avoid being undercut by the cars behind him and emerged ahead of Leclerc. He then made decisive moves to catch up to Yuki Tsunoda. A penalty for Tsunoda further helped Norris in his pursuit.
As the race progressed, Norris managed to build a comfortable lead over Leclerc while Piastri led the race on a different strategy. Ultimately, Norris maintained his advantage over Leclerc and secured the championship as he crossed the finish line.
This victory marked the culmination of a seven-year journey for Norris in Formula 1, putting British motorsport back on the global stage.