Formula 1 has its 35th world champion!
Max Verstappen (28) may have won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (United Arab Emirates), but another driver is celebrating: Lando Norris (26). A third-place finish behind teammate Oscar Piastri (24) was enough for the McLaren star to crown himself the new king of Formula 1!
The Briton becomes world champion with a lead of just two points over Verstappen, who arguably experiences the saddest victory of his career – and all in a nail-biting finale!
The weight lifted from the shoulders of the newly crowned champion became clear after crossing the finish line. His team shouted over the radio:"YOU'RE WORLD CHAMPION!" Norris struggled to respond; tears and sobs could be heard. When he had (somewhat) composed himself, he said:"Unbelievable. We did it. You guys deserved it."
After that, emotions knew no bounds. When Norris came to the start/finish straight for the interview, he said: “Oh God! I haven’t cried in a long time. I thought I wouldn’t cry, but I did. Huge thank you to McLaren. Thank you to my parents. Oh… don’t cry again. My dad and mom have always supported me. Oh… now I look like a loser.”
Then the Briton can finally celebrate with his family. First, he rushes to his girlfriend Magui Corceiro and gives her a kiss. The 23-year-old model also gets tears in her eyes.
Norris' mother, Cisca Wauman, is even more distraught. She repeatedly covers her face with her hands in a fit of tears.
The Norris family didn't have to worry too much during the race. The World Championship victory was never in doubt. Although Norris was overtaken by teammate Piastri in the first lap, that remained the only scare for the McLaren star. Norris controlled the race for the entire distance.
In the end, he finishes third – and yet he is the winner of the day.
Race result Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
| Position | Driver |
|---|---|
| 1. | Max Verstappen (Red Bull) |
| 2. | Oscar Piastri (McLaren) |
| 3. | Lando Norris (McLaren) |
| 4. | Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) |
| 5. | George Russell (Mercedes) |
| 6. | Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) |
| 7. | Esteban Ocon (Haas) |
| 8. | Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) |
| 9. | Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) |
| 10. | Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) |
| 11. | Oliver Bearman (Haas) |
| 12. | Gabriel Bortoleto (Clean) |
| 13. | Carlos Sainz (Williams) |
| 14. | Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) |
| 15. | Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) |
| 16. | Alexander Albon (Williams) |
| 17. | Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) |
| 18. | Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) |
| 19. | Pierre Gasly (Alpine) |
| 20. | Franco Colapinto (Alpine) |
