Norris made an aggressive move on the Japanese driver down the straight, even going beyond track limits, with both drivers coming under investigation.

In the end, it was Tsunoda who was penalized — five seconds for weaving on the straight — clearing Norris, who could finally breathe a sigh of relief at a moment when a penalty could have jeopardized his championship bid.

Ultimately, Norris crossed the finish line seven seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc, clinching the world title despite finishing third.

"The driver of Car 4 overtook Car 22 off track; however, this occurred because the driver of Car 22 made multiple moves defending his position against Car 4. Had Car 22 not made those moves, Car 4 would have overtaken it without going off track but moved off track to avoid contact with Car 22, stewards explained after the race.

The stewards ruled that Norris’s car was forced off track by Tsunoda, explaining why one driver was penalized while the other escaped punishment.

The Brit struggled in the first part of the season against his teammate, who led the championship for fifteen consecutive races before collapsing after the summer break.

From the Mexican Grand Prix onward, Norris grabbed the championship lead and never looked back, despite Max Verstappen fighting tooth and nail all the way to the final corner.