17 years. That’s what it took McLaren to finally break the Red Bull and Mercedes dominance and get a taste of their former glory again. Lando Norris, the 2025 F1 champion, didn’t have to win the race — he just had to finish before P4, which he did by holding off Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. And with this win, McLaren finally showed the team can win again, with or without Lewis Hamilton.

These past two decades, McLaren tried to chase that former glory, which they last achieved in 2008 when Hamilton carried the team to victory. Since then, the team has struggled under the dominance of Mercedes and Red Bull. And Norris, in his seventh season with the team, has done it for them.

Lando Norris finishes P3 to clinch first F1 title

Starting from the second position, Norris successfully managed to maintain that steady grip, helping him finish P3 and win his first F1 World Championship in Abu Dhabi by leading two points over Max Verstappen, the race winner. Verstappen, the other strong contender for the title, did everything he could from his seat, but the final outcome was ultimately beyond his control.

“It feels amazing,” Norris said in the post-race interview. “I now know what Max feels like a little bit! I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competitors the whole season. It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them. It’s been an honour, I’ve learned a lot from both.

Top Stories

Who Is Oscar Piastri’s Father, Chris Piastri? Co-Founder of Multibillion Dollar Automotive Company

Who Is Flo Norris: Lando Norris’ Equestrian Champion Sister?

Who Are Lando Norris’s Parents? Meet Adam Norris and Cisca Wauman

“You’re Going to Get It Tonight”: Party Animal Lewis Hamilton Once Naively Turned Down His Girlfriend’s Advances

Who Is Oliver Norris: Lando’s Karting Champ Brother Meddling in $9,990,000,000 Racing Sim Industry?

“I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a long year. We did it and I’m so proud for everyone.”

Lando Norris has been driving for McLaren since the 2019 season. This was a tough time for the team, yet he dedicated his career’s prime years to the team and managed to push them enough to win the title.

Back in 2008, when McLaren won the Drivers’ Championship, Lewis Hamilton had clinched the title in Brazil with a surprising P5 finish. Although the team was largely competitive at the time, their performance worsened in the coming seasons. The sport saw the domination of Hamilton with Mercedes and then Verstappen with Red Bull. 

It wasn’t until 2021 that the team would win a race (Monza). However, they largely improved from there, winning the Constructors’ Championship in 2024 and now the Drivers’ Championship in 2025.

“Thank you guys,” he said emotionally on the team radio. “I love you guys, thanks for everything. I love you Mum, I love you Dad. And I’m crying!”

Meanwhile, although this year looked like a clean sweep for both the MCL drivers, Max Verstappen made a stunning comeback in the final races to become a strong contender.

But as McLaren celebrates this massive victory, something quite polar goes on in the Red Bull garage.

Max Verstappen fails to break Michael Schumacher’s record

Michael Schumacher won five consecutive World Championships with Ferrari between 2000 and 2005. He set a record that no one has shattered. Sebastian Vettel, Juan Manuel Fangio, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen have all come close to the record, never managing to break it. Verstappen seemed to be the only hope of shattering the record, but despite delivering the most, fate had other plans.

Yet, it was a massive reign from the Dutchman. Winning the title back in the final race in 2021, he ended Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton’s winning streak, starting one of his own. It was a race very similar to this year’s Abu Dhabi GP, with a slight difference; both contenders started on equal points. So it was only a matter of who finished ahead for both drivers.

Max Verstappen was the World Champion for 1,456 days. 2026 will be the first time in four years that he will race with his original #33 on the car, and with the changing regulations and Red Bull’s new power units, it is tough to say if he will be back on top once again.

But what stands ahead for Lando Norris? Will McLaren adapt well to the regulations in 2026? The question remains to be answered as teams head into the new season with a blank canvas.