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

Norris underscored that he feels he raced fairly and without excessive aggression, a philosophy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the much-discussed "killer instinct". He maintains that winning the championship proves such an approach is unnecessary.

The 26-year-old secured the title with a third-place finish at the season finale, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a mere two points. Verstappen won the race but could not erase the 12-point advantage Norris held going into the final round.

"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 wanted to, which was without becoming someone I’m not."

Norris added, "Not trying to be as aggressive as Max or as assertive 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 respectful driver."

Nerve-Wracking Finale

The champion admitted that, despite appearances, the closing moments were incredibly tense.

"I felt calm until the very end, then I began to tremble a little bit," he recalled. "Seeing the team when I crossed the line is a memory that I’ll always remember."

An Incredible Turnaround

The driver's journey to the title involved a remarkable recovery from being far adrift of his teammate in August. A DNF in the Dutch Grand Prix became a key turning point.

"I thought: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m quite a long way behind against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" he revealed. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, bringing in more experts in different areas to unlock more of my potential."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

The reigning champion took only positives from his and Red Bull’s performances, having fought back from a 104‑point deficit. Verstappen felt they had done everything possible against a McLaren that was often the faster package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have no regrets about my season," Verstappen stated. "Our pace has been strong. I’ve struggled with this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

However, the driver reacted testily when questioned about a controversial incident 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 early Christmas presents given to me."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

The visibly dejected Oscar Piastri, who was in front for much of the campaign, reflected he would learn from the experience.

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