The British racing driver stated he is immensely proud of the approach in which he clinched his first-ever Formula One drivers' title, emphasizing after a heartfelt victory lap with his McLaren squad and family that he was happy 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 not displaying the often-praised "ruthless edge". Norris argues that winning the championship demonstrates such an mentality is not essential.
The 26-year-old wrapped up the championship with a P3 finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. Verstappen took the checkered flag but could not erase the 12-point advantage Norris held going into the final round.
"This is an aspect that makes me most proud," Norris said. "I feel like I have just managed to win it the way I aimed to, which was not by being someone I’m not."
He elaborated, "Not trying to be as combative as Max or as assertive as other champions might have been historically, I’m happy. I just did it my style – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an honest driver."
The champion admitted that, despite appearances, the closing moments were nerve-jangling.
"I felt calm until three corners to go, then I began to tremble a bit," he recalled. "Then I got to see the team when I crossed the line is a moment that I’ll never forget."
Norris's path to the championship 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 was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m quite a long way behind against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to raise my game,’" he revealed. "I had to become more myself due to external factors, bringing in more experts in various fields to unlock more of my potential."
Max Verstappen focused on the good from his team's season, having fought back from a 104‑point deficit. He believed they had given their all against a papaya car that was the superior 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 asked about a controversial incident at the Spanish GP where a penalty lost him valuable points.
"You forget all the other stuff that happened," he retorted. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of early Christmas presents given to me."
A clearly disappointed Oscar Piastri, who was in front for much of the campaign, admitted he would learn from the experience.
"Obviously I would have wanted a slightly different ending," he stated. "However I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself as a driver and off the track... In the end there’s a touch of disappointment but I think I can be very proud."
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