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The British racing driver stated he is immensely proud of the manner in which he won his inaugural Formula One drivers' title, stressing after emotional celebrations with his team and family that he was happy to have triumphed "in his own style".

The champion highlighted that he believes he competed cleanly and without excessive aggression, a strategy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the much-discussed "killer instinct". Norris argues that securing the title demonstrates such an mentality is not essential.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the title with a P3 finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. The Dutch driver took the checkered flag but could not overcome the lead the McLaren driver held entering the last race.

"That's one of the things that I am most proud of," Norris said. "I believe I have just managed to win it the way I aimed to, which was without becoming someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Choosing not 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 respectful driver."

A Tense Conclusion

The champion admitted that, although he seemed calm, the closing moments were incredibly tense.

"I felt calm until the very end, then I began to tremble a bit," he said. "Seeing the team after taking the flag is a memory that I’ll always remember."

An Incredible Turnaround

The driver's journey to the championship involved a remarkable recovery from being far adrift of his teammate in the summer. A DNF in the Dutch Grand Prix served as a major catalyst.

"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 due to external factors, bringing in more experts in various fields to fully realize my ability."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

The reigning champion took only positives from his and Red Bull’s season, having mounted a comeback from a massive points gap. Verstappen felt they had done everything possible against a papaya car that was often the faster package.

"Yes, absolutely, I have zero regrets about my season," he said. "The performance has been strong. I’ve struggled with this car at times, but I’ve also excelled in it at times."

However, the driver reacted testily when questioned about a contentious moment 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 lucky breaks given to me."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

The visibly dejected Oscar Piastri, who had led for much of the season, admitted he would emerge stronger the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wanted a slightly different ending," Piastri said. "However I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself as a driver and as a person... Ultimately there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."