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Lando Norris has declared he is deeply satisfied of the manner in which he clinched his inaugural Formula One drivers' title, stressing after emotional celebrations with his McLaren squad and family that he was pleased to have succeeded "in his own style".

Norris underscored that he believes he competed cleanly and without being overly forceful, a strategy for which he has faced criticism for lacking the much-discussed "killer instinct". He maintains that winning the title proves such an mentality is not essential.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the title with a third-place finish at the season finale, beating his rival from Red Bull by a narrow margin. The Dutch driver won the race but could not erase the 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held going into the final round.

"This is an aspect that I am most proud of," Norris said. "I believe I have just managed to win it the way I wanted to, which was without becoming someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Choosing not to be as aggressive as Max or as assertive as other champions might have been historically, I’m happy. I just won it my way – by being a sportsmanlike driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

A Tense Conclusion

The champion admitted that, although he seemed calm, the final laps were nerve-jangling.

"I was composed until three corners to go, then I started to shake a little bit," he said. "Then I got to see the team after taking the flag is a moment that I’ll always remember."

A Remarkable Comeback

The driver's journey to the title involved a stunning comeback from being far adrift of his teammate in August. A mechanical failure in Zandvoort served as a key turning point.

"I thought: ‘Oh no. I’m in a deep hole against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" Norris explained. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, bringing in more experts in various fields to fully realize my ability."

Competitors' Responses

The Red Bull Driver's View

The reigning champion took only positives from his and Red Bull’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 zero regrets about my season," Verstappen stated. "Our pace has been impressive. I’ve struggled with this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."

Yet, the driver responded tersely when asked about a controversial incident at the Barcelona race where a penalty lost him valuable points.

"You forget all the other events that happened," Verstappen snapped. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of lucky breaks come my way."

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

The visibly dejected Oscar Piastri, who was in front for much of the season, reflected he would learn from the defeat.

"Obviously I would have wished for a slightly different ending," he stated. "However I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount about myself as a driver and as a person... In the end there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be very proud."