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Lando Norris has declared he is deeply satisfied of the manner in which he clinched his inaugural Formula One world championship, stressing after emotional celebrations with his McLaren squad and family that he was happy to have triumphed "his way".

The champion highlighted that he feels he raced cleanly and without excessive aggression, a strategy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the often-praised "ruthless edge". He maintains that securing the championship proves such an mentality is not essential.

The 26-year-old secured the championship 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 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held going into the last race.

"That's one of the things that makes me most proud," Norris said. "I feel like I have just managed to win it the way I wanted to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

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

A Tense Conclusion

Norris also conceded that, despite appearances, the closing moments were nerve-jangling.

"I felt calm until the very end, then I started to shake a bit," he said. "Seeing the team when I crossed the line is a memory that I’ll never forget."

An Incredible Turnaround

The driver's journey to the title involved a remarkable recovery from being far adrift of his teammate in the summer. A mechanical failure in Zandvoort 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,’" Norris explained. "I had to become more myself because of external factors, working with more experts in various fields to unlock more of my ability."

Rival Reactions

Max Verstappen: No Regrets

Max Verstappen took only positives from his and Red Bull’s season, having fought back from a 104‑point deficit. 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," he said. "The performance has been impressive. I’ve struggled with this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

However, the Dutchman responded tersely when asked about a controversial incident at the Spanish GP where a penalty lost him critical points.

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

The Runner-Up's Reflection

A clearly disappointed Oscar Piastri, who was in front for much of the campaign, reflected 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 extremely pleased."