Lando Norris offered McLaren a historic victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, allowing the British team to clinch its first constructor championship title since 1998. Starting from pole position, the British driver perfectly managed his race from start to finish, keeping Carlos Sainz at bay to win with a lead of 5.8 seconds.
On the team’s radio after his victory, Norris expressed his joy: Papaya at the top! Congratulations to everyone. Incredible, I am so proud of all of you, you all deserve this. Thank you, it has been special. Next year will also be my year.
The race started perfectly for Norris, who got an excellent start and avoided the chaos of the first turn, where Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri collided. From there, Norris methodically built his lead, perfectly managing his tires while maintaining a strong pace.
The crucial moment of the race occurred during the pit stops, where McLaren executed a perfect stop in 2 seconds on lap 27, allowing Norris to maintain his lead position against Sainz. In the final laps, Norris continued to extend his lead, taking it to eight seconds before crossing the finish line as the winner.
This victory was all the more crucial as it allowed McLaren to secure the constructors’ title against Ferrari. The team needed Norris to win in order to clinch the championship, an objective he brilliantly achieved despite the pressure.
« It’s incredible. Not just for me, but for the whole team. They have done an amazing job from where we were at the beginning, » said Norris after the race. « I am so proud of everyone. It has been a beautiful journey. Finishing the season like this is perfect. »
The British also shared his ambitions for the future: “This is my goal, our goal as a team. We want to win the drivers’ championship next year. I made my mistakes this year, but I learned a lot, especially from Max and my competitors around me. As happy as I am now, I am equally excited for next year to start.”
On how he and his team were going to celebrate their victory, Norris said: « Zak and I have already said that we are going to absolutely get hammered tonight, so I’m excited, we will celebrate, it’s a historic moment for the team. They will want to celebrate and I will want to celebrate so it’s going to be a good night.
McLaren’s victory not only marks a historic moment for the British team, but also confirms Norris as one of the most promising drivers of his generation and positions him as a serious contender for the drivers’ title next year.