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Lando Norris has declared he is immensely proud of the approach in which he won his first-ever Formula One world championship, emphasizing after a heartfelt victory lap with his team and family that he was pleased to have triumphed "his way".

The champion highlighted that he believes he competed cleanly and without excessive aggression, a philosophy for which he has faced criticism for lacking the much-discussed "killer instinct". He maintains that winning the title demonstrates such an approach is unnecessary.

The 26-year-old secured the championship with a third-place finish at the season finale, beating Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a mere two points. Verstappen took the checkered flag but could not erase the lead Norris held going into the last race.

"That's one of the things that I am most proud of," he commented. "I believe I have just been able to secure 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 champions might have been in the past, I’m content. I just did it my style – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an respectful driver."

Nerve-Wracking Finale

The champion admitted that, despite appearances, the closing moments were nerve-jangling.

"I was composed until the very end, then I began to tremble 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

Norris's path to the championship involved a remarkable recovery from being far adrift of then-leader Oscar Piastri in August. A mechanical failure in the Dutch Grand Prix became a major catalyst.

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m in a deep hole against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" he revealed. "I had to become more myself due to external factors, working with more experts in different areas to unlock more of my potential."

Rival Reactions

The Red Bull Driver's View

The reigning champion focused on the good from his and Red Bull’s season, having mounted a comeback from a massive points gap. He believed they had given their all against a McLaren that was the superior package.

"Yes, absolutely, I have no 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."

Yet, the driver responded tersely when questioned about a contentious moment at the Barcelona race where a penalty lost him critical points.

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

Oscar Piastri: Lessons Learned

The visibly dejected McLaren teammate, who was in front for much of the season, reflected he would emerge stronger the experience.

"Naturally I would have wished for a different ending," he stated. "But I think this year I’ve learned an enormous amount 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."