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The British racing driver stated he is immensely proud of the manner in which he won his first-ever Formula One drivers' title, stressing after emotional celebrations with his McLaren squad and family that he was pleased to have triumphed "in his own style".

The champion highlighted that he believes he competed fairly and without excessive aggression, a philosophy for which he has been scrutinized for not displaying the much-discussed "ruthless edge". Norris argues that securing the title demonstrates such an approach is unnecessary.

The 26-year-old secured the championship with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, edging out Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a mere two points. The Dutch driver took the checkered flag but could not erase the lead Norris held going into the final round.

"This is an aspect that I am most proud of," Norris said. "I believe I have just managed to win it the way I wanted to, which was without becoming someone I’m not."

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

A Tense Conclusion

Norris also conceded that, although he seemed calm, the final laps were nerve-jangling.

"I was composed until three corners to go, then I began to tremble a little bit," he said. "Seeing the team after taking the flag is a moment that I’ll always remember."

An Incredible Turnaround

The driver's journey to the championship involved a stunning comeback from being far adrift of his teammate in the summer. A mechanical failure in Zandvoort became a key turning point.

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m in a deep hole against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to raise my game,’" Norris explained. "I had to become more myself because of external factors, bringing in more experts in various fields to fully realize my potential."

Competitors' Responses

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen took only positives from his and Red Bull’s season, having mounted a comeback from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had done everything possible against a papaya car that was the superior package.

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

Yet, the driver responded tersely when asked about a contentious moment at the Spanish GP where a time punishment lost him valuable points.

"People overlook 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 come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

A clearly disappointed McLaren teammate, who was in front for much of the campaign, admitted he would emerge stronger the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wished for a slightly different ending," Piastri said. "However I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself as a driver and off the track... Ultimately there’s a touch of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."