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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the manner in which he clinched his first-ever Formula One drivers' title, emphasizing after emotional celebrations with his team and family that he was happy to have triumphed "his way".

The champion highlighted that he feels he raced cleanly and without being overly forceful, a philosophy for which he has faced criticism for not displaying the often-praised "killer instinct". He maintains that securing the championship demonstrates such an approach is not essential.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the title with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, edging out his rival from Red Bull by a narrow margin. Verstappen took the checkered flag but could not erase the 12-point advantage Norris held going into the final round.

"That's one of the things that makes me most proud," he commented. "I believe I have just managed to win it the way I aimed to, which was without becoming someone I’m not."

Norris added, "Not trying to be as aggressive as Max or as forceful as other title-winners might have been historically, I’m content. I just won it my way – by being a sportsmanlike driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

Nerve-Wracking Finale

The champion admitted that, although he seemed calm, the closing moments were nerve-jangling.

"I was composed until three corners to go, then I started to shake a bit," he said. "Then I got to see the team after taking the flag is a moment that I’ll never forget."

A Remarkable Comeback

Norris's path to the championship involved a remarkable recovery from being 34 points behind of his teammate in August. A DNF in Zandvoort served as a key turning point.

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m quite a long way behind against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" Norris explained. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, bringing in more professionals in various fields to unlock more of my ability."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

The reigning champion 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 McLaren that was the superior package.

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

Yet, the Dutchman responded tersely when questioned about a contentious moment at the Barcelona race where a penalty lost him critical points.

"People overlook all the other stuff that happened," Verstappen snapped. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of lucky breaks given to me."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

A clearly disappointed Oscar Piastri, who had led for much of the season, admitted he would learn from the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wanted a slightly different ending," he stated. "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 touch of disappointment but I think I can be very proud."