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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the manner in which he clinched his inaugural Formula One drivers' title, stressing after a heartfelt victory lap with his team and family that he was pleased to have succeeded "his way".

Norris underscored that he feels he raced fairly and without being overly forceful, a strategy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the much-discussed "killer instinct". Norris argues that securing the championship demonstrates such an approach is unnecessary.

Norris secured the title with a third-place finish at the season finale, beating his rival from Red Bull by a mere two points. Verstappen won the race but could not overcome the 12-point advantage Norris held going into the last race.

"That's one of the things that makes me most proud," Norris said. "I believe I have just been able to secure it the way I wanted to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Choosing not to be as combative as Max or as forceful as other title-winners might have been historically, I’m happy. I just did it my style – by being a sportsmanlike driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

Nerve-Wracking Finale

The champion admitted that, despite appearances, the final laps were nerve-jangling.

"I was composed until the very end, then I started to shake a little bit," he recalled. "Then I got to see the team after taking the flag is a memory that I’ll always remember."

An Incredible Turnaround

Norris's path to the title involved a stunning comeback from being 34 points behind of then-leader Oscar Piastri in August. A mechanical failure in Zandvoort served as a key turning point.

"I thought: ‘Oh no. I’m quite a long way behind against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" he revealed. "I had to become more myself due to external factors, working with more experts in various fields to unlock more of my potential."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen focused on the good from his team's season, having fought back from a 104‑point deficit. Verstappen felt they had given their all against a McLaren that was often the faster package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have zero regrets about my season," Verstappen stated. "The performance has been strong. I’ve struggled with this car at times, but I’ve also excelled in it at times."

However, the driver responded tersely when asked about a controversial incident at the Barcelona race where a time punishment cost him critical points.

"People overlook all the other events that happened," Verstappen snapped. "A championship is won over a full season... I have also had a lot of lucky breaks come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

A clearly disappointed McLaren teammate, who was in front for much of the season, admitted he would learn from the experience.

"Obviously I would have wished for a different ending," Piastri said. "But I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself as a driver and as a person... In the end there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."