Lando Norris wins F1 world title after third-place finish in Abu Dhabi

Lando Norris has been crowned champion of the world after he finished third at Sunday’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Norris needed only to be in the top three at the Yas Marina Circuit to become the 11th driver from Britain to take the crown, and he duly obliged with an impressive drive – which even saw him face a stewards’ investigation for driving off the road when he passed Max Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

Norris escaped punishment and even though Max Verstappen won the race from pole position – to end the season with more victories than anyone else – it was not enough to derail his McLaren rival’s championship charge.

Verstappen crossed the line 12.5 seconds clear of runner-up Oscar Piastri – the Dutch driver resisting the urge to resort to dark arts by backing up the pack and hoping Norris’ third place would come under threat – with Norris 3.9 seconds behind his McLaren team-mate and 6.7 seconds clear of fourth-placed Charles Leclerc.

Norris, 26, was not fazed by Verstappen’s aggressive start when the Red Bull pole-sitter angled his car to his immediate left to chop across his rival.

Verstappen led but Norris remained in second with Piastri in third. However, Norris lost a place on the opening lap after a fired-up Piastri swooped round the outside of his team-mate at the ninth corner.

Verstappen led from Piastri and Norris before the Englishman changed tyres on lap 16.

Norris left the pits in ninth, and cleared Kimi Antonelli for eighth and then Carlos Sainz for seventh on lap 18. Up next for the championship contender was Lance Stroll and Liam Lawson and an aggressive Norris took both of them on in one swoop into Turn 5. Lawson bit back but Norris held firm.

Then the toughest task of them all with Tsunoda was deployed by Red Bull to knock Norris off his stride.

“All you can do when he catches,” was the message to Verstappen’s team-mate.

“I know what to do so leave to me,” Tsunoda replied.

It drew comparisons with the contentious 2021 decider when Sergio Perez was hailed as Mexico’s Minister of Defence after he successfully kept Verstappen’s rival Lewis Hamilton behind for a number of laps.

On to lap 23 here, and the pivotal moment of the race, and indeed Norris’ championship charge.

Norris was in a rush and with his first opportunity on the 190mph drag to Turn 5, he went for it.

Tsunoda weaved one way and then the other and then back again before Norris launched his McLaren underneath the Red Bull as they approached the left-hander.

Norris came within inches of the Red Bull, and the nearside barrier too, and orange sparks flew, but he survived to take the place only for the stewards to investigate the heart-stopping incident.

All four of Norris’ McLaren wheels were over the painted white lines and the stewards had to determine whether the Briton had left the track and gained an advantage.

Tsunoda was also in the spotlight for forcing another driver off the track. Six laps passed and then the crucial verdict arrived.

Sighs of relief at McLaren as Norris was off the hook, and it was Tsunoda who was adjudged to have broken the rules. A five-second penalty followed for the Red Bull man and no further action for Norris.

Norris was now running in third, and in clean air, and doing all he needed to secure the crown.

Leclerc stopped for new tyres on lap 39, and Norris covered him off by pitting again the next time around.

Up front and Verstappen cleared Piastri for the lead with 19 laps to go and the Australian – who began the race on the longer-lasting hard tyre compound – immediately pulled in for his opening stop.

Verstappen led from Piastri by 22 seconds, with Norris five seconds back from his team-mate, and Leclerc another five seconds adrift. Leclerc was now the only man who could stop Norris.

“Is Charles catching him or not?” an agonised Verstappen asked. “Fairly equal pace,” was the response that Verstappen did not want to hear, and Norris was crowned world champion.