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The British racing driver stated he is immensely proud of the approach in which he won his first-ever Formula One world championship, stressing after a heartfelt victory lap with his McLaren squad and family that he was pleased to have triumphed "in his own style".

The champion highlighted that he feels he raced cleanly and without excessive aggression, a strategy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the much-discussed "ruthless edge". He maintains that securing the championship demonstrates such an approach is unnecessary.

The 26-year-old wrapped up the championship with a third-place finish at the season finale, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. The Dutch driver took the checkered flag but could not erase the 12-point advantage Norris held going into the final round.

"This is an aspect that I am most proud of," he commented. "I believe I have just managed to win it the way I aimed to, which was not by being someone I’m not."

He elaborated, "Not trying to be as aggressive as Max or as assertive as other title-winners might have been historically, I’m happy. I just did it my style – by being a sportsmanlike driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

Nerve-Wracking Finale

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

"I felt calm 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 memory that I’ll always remember."

An Incredible Turnaround

The driver's journey to the championship involved a stunning comeback from being 34 points behind of then-leader Oscar Piastri in August. A DNF in Zandvoort became a major catalyst.

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m quite a long way behind against a seriously quick driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" Norris explained. "I had to become more myself because of external factors, working with more professionals in various fields to fully realize my potential."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

Max Verstappen took only positives from his and Red Bull’s season, having fought back from a 104‑point deficit. Verstappen felt they had given their all against a McLaren that was often the faster package.

"Yeah, I think so, I have zero regrets about my season," he said. "The performance has been strong. I’ve hated this car at times, but I’ve also excelled in it at times."

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

"People overlook all the other events that happened," he retorted. "The title is won over a full season... I have also had a lot of early Christmas presents come my way."

The Runner-Up's Reflection

The visibly dejected McLaren teammate, who was in front for much of the campaign, admitted he would emerge stronger the defeat.

"Naturally I would have wanted a slightly different ending," Piastri said. "However I think this year I’ve learned a hell of a lot about myself as a driver and off the track... Ultimately there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."