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The British racing driver stated he is deeply satisfied of the manner in which he clinched his inaugural Formula One world championship, emphasizing after emotional celebrations with his team and family that he was pleased to have triumphed "in his own style".

The champion highlighted that he believes he competed cleanly and without being overly forceful, a philosophy for which he has been scrutinized for lacking the often-praised "killer instinct". Norris argues that securing the title demonstrates such an approach is not essential.

The 26-year-old secured the championship with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, edging out Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a narrow margin. Verstappen won the race but could not erase the 12-point advantage Norris held going into the final round.

"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 wanted 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 title-winners might have been historically, I’m happy. I just won it my way – by being a sportsmanlike driver, by trying to be an honest driver."

A Tense Conclusion

Norris also conceded that, although he seemed calm, the final laps were incredibly tense.

"I felt calm until three corners to go, then I began to tremble a little bit," he recalled. "Seeing the team after taking the flag is a moment that I’ll always remember."

An Incredible Turnaround

Norris's path to the title involved a remarkable recovery from being far adrift of his teammate in the summer. A mechanical failure in the Dutch Grand Prix became a key turning point.

"I was like: ‘Oh, shoot. I’m quite a long way behind against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to step it up,’" Norris explained. "I had to become more myself because of external factors, bringing in more experts in various fields to unlock more of my ability."

Rival Reactions

Max Verstappen: No Regrets

Max Verstappen took only positives from his and Red Bull’s season, having mounted a comeback from a massive points gap. 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 struggled with 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 time punishment lost him critical points.

"People overlook all the other events that happened," Verstappen snapped. "A championship is won over 24 rounds... I have also had a lot of early Christmas presents given to me."

The Runner-Up's Reflection

A clearly disappointed McLaren teammate, who was in front for much of the season, admitted he would learn from 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 behind the wheel and as a person... In the end there’s a little bit of disappointment but I think I can be extremely pleased."