'All three are world champions': Drivers in awe of 'amazing' F1 climax that led to Lando Norris' tears
Updated . First published at
The F1 paddock has sung the praises of newly-crowned world champion Lando Norris and his fiercest competitors, calling the 2025 Abu Dhabi showdown a race where "all three are world champions."
An emotional Norris burst into tears, first in the car, then as he was presented to the crowd, after claiming his maiden F1 world title as Oscar Piastri fell short of breaking a 45-year Aussie drought.
Fellow drivers flocked to the newest champion to send their congratulations, even fierce rival Piastri calling Norris "a deserving champion."
READ MORE: The barb from Jofra Archer that ignited classic Steve Smith moment
READ MORE: Geoffrey Boycott goes to town after England 'horror show' at the Gabba
Norris celebrating on the podium. Getty
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso admitted the title could have swung towards any of the championship protagonists.
"Lando, all three of them, you know, they drove amazingly well this year. Even now, with extra pressure in the last race, they qualified in the top three, they finished in the top three, so they still deliver the job," Alonso said.
"All three are world champions. Only one can win.
"This time was Lando. Congratulations to him. You dream to become Formula 1 driver eventually, and then to win the championship that arrived for him. I hope he enjoys it and well-deserved it."
Pierre Gasly echoed the sentiments, saying it was "pretty amazing for the sport and for the fans out there" and Esteban Ocon said the 2025 season was an "amazing three-way battle."
"I think they all deserve a lot this year. They were fighting until the end. We had an amazing show for that last race.
"There has to be only one champion and well done to Lando. I think he definitely deserves what he gets today. I'm super proud for him."
Lewis Hamilton found Norris in the media pen, congratulating the world champion and metaphorically handed over the guard as the last McLaren driver to win a drivers' title with the team, back in 2008.
Piastri finished second in a processional season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which was won by Max Verstappen.
Norris finished third, which was all he needed to do to ensure all other results were irrelevant.
Denied a fifth-straight world championship, Verstappen's win was enough to secure the Dutchman second in the standings, ahead of Piastri.
As the fireworks and cheers erupted over the Yas Marina Circuit, Norris didn't know whether to laugh or cry on team radio.
"Lando, this is Zak from McLaren. Is this the world champion hotline? You did it! You did it! Awesome," Brown said.
Norris took a moment to himself in his car before he emerged to begin what would no doubt be a long night of celebrations.
"It's incredible. It's surreal. I've dreamed of this for a long time - I mean everyone does. A lot goes into a season like this - a lot of ups, a lot of downs, but none of it matters as long as you come out on top," Norris told Jenson Button on the podium.
"I did it with an incredible team (that) I've enjoyed so many moments with. It's not just this year - it's been over the last seven or eight years of being with McLaren, and for the last 16, 17 years of my life trying to chase this dream, and today we all did it."
Norris doing the customary burnouts after the chequered flag. Formula 1 via Getty Images
Norris later paid tribute to Piastri for his season-long challenge.
"I'm lucky the team have given me an incredible car that has made my life very easy at times, but at times I've struggled against Oscar," he told Sky Sports.
"Oscar's done an incredible job. I'm glad I've had Oscar the last three years, because even though he's still a lot newer to it than me, I've learned a lot from him.
"He showed me up at many times, and I've managed to learn a lot from him and I wouldn't be the driver I am today without that."
Norris also thanked his other previous teammates, including Daniel Ricciardo and Williams star Carlos Sainz.
"(Oscar) made me dig even deeper than I ever have before, because by the midpoint of the season, he was performing better than I was and doing a better job consistently," he said.
"I have to give a congrats to Oscar, because he's driven incredibly and at some point he's going to get the better of me, because he's he's an incredible driver."
Needing to win the race and for his title rivals to strike trouble, Piastri's race got off to the perfect start when he put a stunning move on Norris around the outside for second on the opening lap.
Oscar Piastri made a bold move around the outside of his teammate on the opening lap. Getty
"That's a critical move ... an amazing move," F1 icon Martin Brundle said in commentary.
Norris was first of the three title protagonists to pit, and survived a hairy moment with Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda as he tried to overtake down the back straight.
Tsunoda weaved down the straight in an attempt to break Norris' slipstream, forcing Norris to take evasive action to get the move done. He only narrowly avoided the inside wall.
"You absolutely cannot do that," a terse Brundle quipped of Tsunoda's tactics. Stewards agreed, and slapped Tsunoda with a five-second time penalty.
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown slammed the move as "dangerous and unnecessary".
Piastri ran second in the early part of the race until Verstappen pitted. Having started on the hardest compound tyre, Piastri led for much of the middle part of the race, and was eventually caught and passed by Verstappen on lap 41.
The Aussie immediately dived into the pits, and emerged nearly 30 seconds behind the Dutchman. Norris was a further six seconds behind. Piastri was able to cut the deficit to just over 13 seconds by the checquered flag.
The 2026 F1 season will begin in Melbourne in March.
