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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the manner in which he won his inaugural Formula One drivers' title, stressing after emotional celebrations with his McLaren squad and family that he was pleased to have triumphed "his way".

The champion highlighted that he believes he competed cleanly and without being overly forceful, a philosophy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the much-discussed "ruthless edge". He maintains that winning the title proves such an approach is not essential.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the title with a third-place finish at the season finale, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. Verstappen won the race but could not erase the lead Norris held going into the last race.

"This is an aspect that makes me most proud," he commented. "I believe I have just managed to win it the way I wanted to, which was without becoming someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Not trying to be as combative as Max or as forceful as other title-winners might have been historically, I’m content. I just did it my style – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an respectful driver."

A Tense Conclusion

Norris also conceded that, although he seemed calm, the final laps were incredibly tense.

"I was composed until three corners to go, then I began to tremble a little 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

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

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m in a deep hole against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to raise my game,’" he revealed. "I got to be more myself due to external factors, bringing in more experts in different areas to unlock more of my potential."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen focused on the good from his and Red Bull’s performances, having mounted a comeback from a 104‑point deficit. He believed they had done everything possible against a McLaren that was the superior package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have zero regrets about my season," he said. "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 questioned about a controversial incident at the Spanish GP where a time punishment lost him critical points.

"You forget all the other events that happened," he retorted. "The title is won over a full season... I have also had a lot of lucky breaks come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

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

"Naturally I would have wanted a slightly different ending," Piastri said. "However I think this year I’ve learned a hell of a lot about myself behind the wheel and off the track... In the end there’s a touch of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."