Lando Norris Crowned F1 World Champion

British driver Lando Norris (McLaren), who was crowned the new Formula One world champion on Sunday after finishing third in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the year, described the feeling as 'incredible and surreal; something I have dreamed of for a long time'. He admitted he didn't think he would cry, but from emotion and joy, he did. 'But we did it. I hadn't cried in a long time. I'm not crying,' exclaimed the new world champion from the podium, denying the obvious. 'I didn't think I was going to cry, but I did. I've dreamed of this for a very, very long time,' commented the 26-year-old from Bristol, for whom it was enough to get on the podium to secure the title. 'My mother, my father, they are the ones who have always helped me, from the beginning,' recalled an emotional Lando during the trophy ceremony. 'I want to thank the guys, everyone at McLaren; my parents. I've learned a lot from both of them too; so I've enjoyed it,' explained Norris after becoming world champion. 'In a season there are always ups and downs, but nothing matters if you end up winning; and I did it with an incredible team. I am very proud of everyone in the team,' stated Lando after becoming the eleventh British driver to capture the world championship in the premier class. 'I'm a world champion, oh my god. A team I've been with for seven years,' pointed out Norris from the podium, where he was interviewed by his compatriot Jenson Button, 2009 world champion, in reference to McLaren, the team with which he debuted in the premier class in 2019 and with which he also celebrated the Constructors' Championships last year and this one. 'This is something that feels incredible. Now I know a little what Max (Verstappen) feels like,' he added. 'It's been a long year. I want to congratulate Max and Oscar (Piastri), my two main rivals throughout the season.' This came after Norris, who became the eleventh British driver to win the Formula One World Championship, finished the championship with 423 points, two more than 'Mad Max' and with a thirteen-point advantage over Piastri, finished third in a race won by the four-time world champion from the Netherlands, Max Verstappen (Red Bull), and the other McLaren, driven by Australian Oscar Piastri, finished in second place. 'It's been a pleasure to race against both of them. It's been a long journey.'