The British racing driver stated he is deeply satisfied of the approach in which he clinched his first-ever 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 feels he raced cleanly and without being overly forceful, a strategy for which he has faced criticism for not displaying the often-praised "killer instinct". He maintains that securing the title demonstrates such an mentality is unnecessary.
Norris secured the title with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a mere two points. The Dutch driver took the checkered flag but could not erase the 12-point advantage the McLaren driver held entering the final round.
"That's one of the things that I am most proud of," Norris said. "I feel like I have just been able to secure it the way I aimed 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 champions might have been historically, I’m happy. I just did it my style – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an honest driver."
The champion admitted that, although he seemed calm, the final laps were nerve-jangling.
"I felt calm until the very end, then I started to shake a bit," he recalled. "Seeing the team after taking the flag is a moment that I’ll always remember."
The driver's journey to the title involved a remarkable recovery from being 34 points behind of then-leader Oscar Piastri in the summer. A mechanical failure in the Dutch Grand Prix served as a major catalyst.
"I thought: ‘Oh no. I’m quite a long way behind against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to raise my game,’" he revealed. "I got to be more myself because of external factors, bringing in more experts in various fields to fully realize my potential."
The reigning champion took only positives from his team's season, having mounted a comeback from a 104‑point deficit. Verstappen felt 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 strong. I’ve hated this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times."
However, the driver responded tersely when asked about a controversial incident at the Spanish GP where a penalty cost him critical points.
"People overlook all the other stuff that happened," Verstappen snapped. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of lucky breaks given to me."
A clearly disappointed Oscar Piastri, who was in front for much of the campaign, reflected he would emerge stronger the defeat.
"Obviously I would have wished for 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 very proud."
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