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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the approach in which he clinched his inaugural Formula One drivers' title, emphasizing after emotional celebrations with his McLaren squad and family that he was pleased to have triumphed "his way".

Norris underscored that he believes he competed fairly and without being overly forceful, a strategy for which he has been scrutinized for not displaying the much-discussed "ruthless edge". Norris argues that winning the title proves such an approach is unnecessary.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the championship with a third-place finish at the season finale, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a mere two points. The Dutch driver took the checkered flag but could not overcome the 12-point advantage Norris held entering the last race.

"That's one of the things that I am most proud of," he commented. "I feel like I have just managed to win it the way I aimed to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

Norris added, "Choosing not to be as aggressive as Max or as assertive as other champions might have been historically, I’m happy. I just did it my style – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

Nerve-Wracking Finale

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 little bit," he said. "Then I got to see the team after taking the flag is a moment that I’ll always remember."

A Remarkable Comeback

Norris's path to the title involved a stunning comeback from being far adrift of his teammate in August. A DNF in the Dutch Grand Prix served as a key turning point.

"I thought: ‘Oh no. I’m quite a long way behind against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to raise my game,’" Norris explained. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, working with more professionals in various fields to fully realize my ability."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen took only positives from his and Red Bull’s performances, having fought back from a massive points gap. He believed they had given their all against a papaya car that was often the faster package.

"Yes, absolutely, I have zero regrets about my season," Verstappen stated. "The performance has been strong. I’ve hated this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

However, the Dutchman responded tersely when asked about a controversial incident at the Spanish GP where a penalty cost him critical points.

"You forget all the other events that happened," Verstappen snapped. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of early Christmas presents given to me."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

A clearly disappointed Oscar Piastri, who had led for much of the season, reflected he would emerge stronger the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wished for a slightly different ending," he stated. "However I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself as a driver and as a person... Ultimately there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."