Lando Norris captures first Formula 1 title at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

McLaren’s long wait for another Formula 1 world champion ended Sunday as Lando Norris clinched the 2025 drivers’ title.

The 26-year-old sealed the championship after finishing third in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix., completing a breakout season that kept him ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri and three-time champion Max Verstappen.

Norris entered the season finale with a narrow points lead but did enough to stay clear despite pressure from his teammate and the reigning world champion.

Norris’ season was marked by seven Grand Prix victories and a string of podium finishes that kept him in the title mix from the opening races.

That advantage nearly evaporated at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where Norris was disqualified from second place due to excessive wear on the car’s skid block. The setback cut his points margin and tightened the championship race, but the McLaren driver rebounded with measured drives in the final rounds.

With the win, Norris becomes Formula 1’s newest first-time world champion and delivers McLaren one of its most significant results of the modern era.