Lando Norris shares why he faced ‘more problems’ than expected at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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Two points were the difference as McLaren’s Lando Norris claimed his first Formula 1 title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Despite an excellent fightback from Max Verstappen, the drivers’ championship was won by the team who had command of it all season.

Norris has just become the first new British driver to claim a crown in 16 years, and McLaren’s first since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

He has helped to bring glory back to one of the most historic teams, and the long journey, ending with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, was very worth the hassle.

How the Drivers’ Championship would’ve looked without THAT swap in Monza…🤯

Should Max Verstappen feel aggrieved that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri swapping places in Monza may have been the difference in the Drivers' Championship?

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Verstappen sent a message to Norris immediately after sealing the deal, urging him to enjoy the ‘special’ moment.

Just a few hours before, McLaren were unimpressed with Yuki Tsunoda, who forced Norris off the track in a mid-race battle, in an attempt to rescue Red Bull’s glory. Still, they fell short.

READ MORE: Oscar Piastri lauded for ‘nice touch’ after watching Lando Norris win the 2025 Formula 1 title

Lando Norris faced ‘more problems’ backing off at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton told Norris not to ‘change anything’ ahead of his first title decider, insisting that he focuses on the things that have worked for him so far.

If he adopted that approach, it worked well for him. He didn’t need to deliver anything spectacular, but instead produce what was asked of him.

Third place was the goal, and despite having to fight hard for it at stages, including having Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc right behind him for some time.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Norris revealed how he faced ‘more problems’ at the end of the race when he tried backing off. It was harder to keep his car on the straight and narrow.

“I was just trying to stay away from all the kerbs,” he said. “Not do anything silly. Honestly, our car gets more difficult to drive when you try and back off more, so I almost had more problems when I tried to relax a little bit.

“But, similar to the first win I had, very quiet laps [at the end]. I don’t even think Will [Joseph] said this is the last lap, I think he knew I knew what it was. You just kind of have that little fast run back of the journey. Like you see in movies and things like that, it’s genuine.”

READ MORE: Max Verstappen fans are saying the same thing about Lando Norris’ overtake on Yuki Tsunoda in Abu Dhabi

Why Lando Norris was unfortunate not to have sealed the 2025 F1 title before Abu Dhabi

Although there is an argument to suggest that any of the three drivers in contention deserved to win the title, Norris could have had it sealed a lot sooner.

His engine failure in Zandvoort, and disqualification in Las Vegas cost him at least 36 points. That alone, would’ve been enough to win in Qatar, and potentially Vegas if things had gone his way.

Martin Brundle was concerned by Norris and how he was driving in Abu Dhabi. He felt as though the pressure might be getting to him on Sunday.

But, that didn’t matter by the time he crossed the line to win the title. Instead, Piastri will rue 47 lost points through mistakes, and has to focus on where to improve over the winter.