Lando Norris claimed his maiden Formula One world drivers’ title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday (December 7, 2025), ending Max Verstappen’s four-year reign.

The Briton finished third in the season-closer behind race winner Verstappen and the other title challenger, McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, to claim the crown by two points.

Norris, in tears on the team radio, said, “Thanks so much. I love you mum, I love you dad.”

“That was exciting, a little too exciting, awesome,” said McLaren team principal Zak Brown.

Norris becomes Britain’s first world champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2020 with this 13th drivers’ crown for McLaren.

The 26-year-old’s success comes over half a century after Emerson Fittipaldi claimed the British marque’s first drivers’ title in 1974.

A galaxy of F1 greats followed – James Hunt (1976), Niki Lauda (1984), Alain Prost (1985, 1986, 1989), Ayrton Senna (1988, 1990, 1991), Mikka Hakkinen (1998, 1999) and Hamilton in 2008.

McLaren, headed by team principal Andrea Stella and CEO Brown, secured back-to-back constructors’ titles in Singapore last month.

Sunday’s (December 7) season-closer was the first time the title was decided by a contest involving more than two drivers since a four-way scrap at the final race in Abu Dhabi in 2010.

Lando Norris says he won’t ask his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to give up a place to favour him in the three-way Formula 1 title fight with Max Verstappen at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Norris has a 12-point lead over Verstappen going into Sunday’s (December 7, 2025) race, with Piastri four points further back.

If Verstappen is far ahead of both McLarens, it’s possible Piastri could be in a situation where he can’t take the title himself but can aid Norris’ title bid. If Verstappen wins on Sunday (December 7), a top-three finish would be enough for Norris.

“Honestly, I mean I would love it but I don’t think I would ask it because it’s up to Oscar if he would allow it. I don’t think it’s necessarily down to me,” Norris said, sitting alongside Piastri and Verstappen at a pre-race news conference on Thursday (December 4).

Norris added he believed he would help out Piastri if the roles were reversed but said they hadn’t discussed any such situations within the team.

“Personally, I think I would, just because I feel like that’s just how I am, but this, it’s not really up to me,” Norris said. “I’m not going to ask it. I don’t want to ask it because I don’t think it’s necessarily a fair question.”

Piastri left the issue open. “It’s not something we’ve discussed,” he said. “I don’t really have an answer until I know what’s expected of me.”

Norris had the chance to wrap up the title at last week’s Qatar Grand Prix, but a pit strategy blunder by McLaren handed Verstappen the win to boost his title defense chances. Piastri was second and Norris fourth in Qatar.

Verstappen said he plans just to “have a good time out there, try to maximise the result,” but admitted that in the circumstances, “I don’t even know what that means, in terms of where you are in the ranking.”

Mercedes driver George Russell was a vocal critic on Thursday (December 4) of any suggestion Piastri might be asked to sacrifice even slim title chances, regardless of whether it means neither of McLaren’s drivers ends up with the championship. No McLaren driver has taken the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

“I don’t think it’s acceptable or reasonable to ask a driver who’s also in a shot of a championship in the very last race to move over for your teammate,” Russell said. “I think they both need to be given a shot and if they lose out because of it, you just need to say the other guy did a better job and that’s racing.”