By Nafisa Najmi,
‘Next year is going to be my year!’ Lando Norris triumphantly said those words into his radio after the final race of the 2024 season in Abu Dhabi, which he won. Norris finished second in the 2024 driver standings, marking his best championship finish.
One year later, the British driver secured his first Driver’s Championship after finishing third in the penultimate Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He secured the title by just two points ahead of four-time and defending champion Max Verstappen.
The 2025 Formula One season came to an end, with McLaren securing the Constructor’s Championship for the second year in a row. With an upcoming regulations change, this season was vital for data collection and understanding the cars, with next year promising to be even tougher.
There were numerous unknowns entering this season. The big headline heading into the season opener in Australia was undoubtedly Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari. However, Lando Norris kept his head down and won the wet Australian Grand Prix, which wasn’t short of crashes and drama. This first win set a marker that Norris meant business in 2025.
Things seemed positive after the strong start in Australia. However, the British driver finished in second in back-to-back races – the Chinese and Japanese GP, and didn’t cross the line first until May when he won the Monaco GP. McLaren had car issues, and Lando even reported that at one time, it felt like he had never driven an F1 car. Despite the struggles, Lando had 2 wins and placed P4 as his worst result.
His consistency took a hit when a miscalculated overtake on his teammate for a P4, through the fast and narrow corners of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal. The McLaren of Lando Norris hit the barricades and ended his race with just 4 more racing laps to go. Things started to look a little unsure about Lando’s chances at the title.
However, Lando came fighting with back-to-back wins, one being on home turf at Silverstone. He then finished P2 in Belgium before snatching a miraculous win in Hungary, where he pulled off an incredible one-stop strategy while rivals opted for two. A nerve-wracking last few laps had his teammate and Championship rival, Oscar Piastri, chasing with fresher tyres and better grip. Lando showcased a masterclass in defence and tyre management and bagged the win.
Lando walked into the Dutch GP with a mere 9-point deficit to his rival, but unfortunately, luck wasn’t on his side. He got a DNF caused by a mechanical issue, which saw a 34-point gap between him and his title dreams. Speculations, rumours, and fanfare had already seemed to decide the championship winner, but Lando Norris had other plans.
He came back feisty after the summer break and was ready to fight for the grand prize. Determination and consistency saw Lando Norris retake the lead that he lost in Bahrain at the Mexico Grand Prix, where he came out on top by 1 point.
With the final 4 races of the season in view, Lando proved dominant and unstoppable. The Brazilian GP, which was a weekend to forget in 2024, turned into one to remember as Lando took maximum points – winning both the sprint and main race.
However, in Formula 1, it is not over until it is over. The final triple header of the season was nothing short of drama. The Las Vegas grand prix saw both McLaren drivers, who were title contenders, face a gruesome disqualification. What would’ve been a 30-point lead turned into a 24-point gap between him and Piastri and Verstappen, who were now tied.
A wrong call by McLaren at the penultimate Qatar GP left both drivers vulnerable as Piastri finished second with Norris fourth. The champion would have to be crowned in Abu Dhabi, the final Grand Prix of the season.
Apart from the P7 finish in Azerbaijan and the unfortunate DNFs and disqualification, the Brit showed skill and consistency, bagging 7 race wins and 17 podiums. Now he only needed one more podium to win the Driver’s Championship.
The Yas Marina circuit buzzed with anticipation as the five lights signalled the start, all three title contenders starting at the front. Lando Norris started second but let his teammate Oscar pass. They had different strategies; Lando wanted to maintain a podium, while Piastri wanted the win.
With the Scarlet red Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in Norris’ mirrors, McLaren had to rethink their strategy to help him maintain third place. Lando was quick to ensure a pitstop gap was maintained and the risk of undercut from Charles Leclerc, who was also aiming for a podium finish, was avoided. Lando’s first pit stop had him rejoin a DRS train of traffic led by Yuki Tsunoda.
The Briton showed quick overtakes and stayed calm under pressure. Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari pushed hard for P3, but Norris remained calm, built a seven-second gap before he crossed the chequered flag as world champion, with a two-point gap over Verstappen in the final standings.
Through his hard work, sweat and tears (literally), the Briton achieved his childhood dream. Lando became the 35th driver to become a Formula 1 World Champion, the first non-Redbull or Mercedes driver to win it since 2009, and the 11th British driver to have his name etched into the trophy.
7 years later since the 19-year-old joined F1, Lando Norris became the first F2 graduate to subsequently win a Formula 1 world championship and the 8th Driver in a McLaren to do so. In 2024, he had the unpopular record of being the driver with the most podiums but no wins, which he got rid of in the 2024 Miami GP. Now he is the world champion. In the words of Carlos Sainz, “He has proven you can achieve your highest goals by staying true to yourself.”
Wow! So well written!!