At the end of the race, as the Monegasque congratulated Norris on his title win, Norris’s father approached the Ferrari driver and playfully told him he was “pushing too hard.”

Leclerc was the only driver who, for a brief moment, gave Max Verstappen real hope of claiming the championship, as the Englishman came under attack for a few laps for third place — a position that, if lost, would have left him in a very uncomfortable spot for the title.

However, Norris managed to withstand the pressure from Leclerc, gradually shaking him off over the laps and building a reassuring gap to the SF25, enough to stay safe even if he had received a penalty for the overtake on Yuki Tsunoda.

The Brit crossed the line seven seconds ahead of the Ferrari driver, celebrating the first title of his career thanks to that final crucial position, which denied Verstappen and Red Bull the championship.

Speaking to F1 after the race while celebrating his son’s title, Lando Norris’s father stressed that only the winner really counts in the end, and that what everyone else does rarely sticks in people’s memory.

He was referring to Max Verstappen, who finished just two points behind after an incredible comeback that started following the Zandvoort race, keeping both McLaren drivers under pressure right up to the final race.