Norris: "I proved myself wrong" by winning F1 world championship

20:33, 14 Dec

0 Comments

byLuke-John Buckle

Lando Norris explained that he proved himself wrong by winning the Formula 1 world championship.

"I've been able to prove myself wrong"

- Lando Norris

Norris won his first world title this year after a tense finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, taking third place to clinch the championship.

The McLaren driver admitted the first half of 2025 wasn't spectacular, but Norris is delighted he turned it around.

He said in the post-race press conference: "If I look back on it, my first half of the season – not the most impressive. Certainly, times I made some mistakes, made some bad judgments. I made my errors, as I'm sure every driver would admit to.

"But how I managed to turn all of that and have the second half of the season that I had is what makes me very proud – that I've been able to prove myself wrong.

Photo: Race Pictures

"There were doubts I had in the beginning of the year, and I proved myself wrong. And that's something that makes me very happy."

Norris started the 2025 season perfectly with a win in Australia, but spent much of the opening few rounds behind his teammate Oscar Piastri.

The British driver was also 34 points behind after a mechanical issue forced Norris to retire at Zandvoort.

He then stood on the podium six times afterwards to win the world championship for the first time.

Norris addressed McLaren team after becoming champion

Norris returned to the McLaren Technology Centre to speak to the team after clinching the title in Abu Dhabi.

The 26-year-old explained that seeing the team's reaction at McLaren was a significant source of motivation for Norris.

GPblog's latest F1 Paddock Update

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest uploads.