Lando Norris, a title that crowns an unprecedented journey
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix could have witnessed one of the most extraordinary comebacks in the history of the sport. Even without Max Verstappen claiming a fifth championship, there is another equally thrilling comeback to celebrate: McLaren’s return to the top of Formula 1, a feat that seemed unimaginable just a few years ago. The driving force behind it all is Lando Norris, a driver who embodies the spirit of overcoming personal limits to achieve the best version of oneself.
The Lando factor
Extremely fast over a single lap and consistent over race distances, Norris has never been particularly known for aggressive wheel-to-wheel battles. Yet, in the race that crowned him world champion, his aggression stood out, as he allowed Oscar Piastri minimal resistance on the opening lap as planned with the team, while showing no hesitation in the delicate overtakes after the pit stop. Lando defended the third-place finish that secured his world championship after a season that was challenging both psychologically and technically. The superb yet demanding MCL39 never fully matched Norris’s preferences, leaving him unable to replicate the lap times he achieved in 2024. However, the British driver remained undeterred, regaining confidence in the car through meticulous work on his driving and setups, even more than the suspension changes requested over the summer.
Lando disproved the critics who had said everything and its opposite about him. Criticism, especially on a personal level, clashed with the reality of a young man who is among the most cordial with the media and fans, and those who have worked closely with him speak only positively. Norris is a different kind of champion, not inclined to flaunt confidence but very open about his vulnerabilities and willing to self-critique. His journey was personal before it was technical or sporting, a reflection of someone confronting the biggest challenge: working on oneself. When he had the opportunity of a lifetime to drive the best car on the grid, Lando seized it, sharing McLaren’s journey through every stage to the very end.
The greatness of McLaren
Norris’s title solidifies the growth of a team that started from far behind and completed its rise in record time by Formula 1 standards. “We are establishing ourselves at an unprecedented pace in Formula 1,” said a proud Andrea Stella. At the beginning of the ground-effect era, McLaren was at the back of the grid, only finding its turning point in the spring of 2023, finally shifting to a winning concept. From there, the team’s progression was unstoppable, delivering upgrades that consistently worked. This success stems not only from investments in infrastructure, including the privately-owned wind tunnel inaugurated in October 2023, but above all in expertise, strengthening fundamentals and developing an effective and efficient working methodology.
The 2024 Constructors’ Championship was only the starting point. McLaren did not rest on its laurels but pushed further, radically redesigning the car for the following year. “They didn’t let me have a peaceful Christmas, knowing a world championship car had been so extensively changed in some areas,” Andrea Stella explained. Many people contributed to the extraordinary MCL39, from Rob Marshall, poached from Red Bull, to the many internal team members whose talents were maximized, especially Peter Prodromou, whom Stella described as “the most talented aerodynamicist I have ever known.” The 2026 regulations will introduce entirely new specifics, but the standards, methodology, and development approach demonstrated by McLaren show a team capable of building a solid foundation for the future.
The other contender
History tends to remember only the winners, not those who fell short. However, when speaking about Norris’s championship and McLaren’s rise, it is impossible to ignore the driver who extended the title fight to the very last moment with an unprecedented and thrilling comeback in both technical and points terms. In 2025, Max Verstappen fought like the lion he is, losing the championship by a narrow margin, compounded by regrets over the loss of composure in Barcelona when a clash with George Russell cost him crucial points, a moment born of frustration at the evident inferiority of his car compared to McLaren.
Neither Verstappen nor Red Bull ever gave up, continuing to invest in the development of the RB21, not only in hopes of reclaiming the title. They could have diverted all resources toward the 2026 project, but according to Laurent Mekies, that would have been naïve. Instead, the Milton Keynes team chose to fully understand the limitations of the latest ground-effect Red Bull, seeking the answers necessary to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.
The track will ultimately decide in the coming months whether that choice was correct or whether the resources sacrificed for 2026 were excessive. Red Bull is entering a new era, now without key figures behind Verstappen’s successes, such as Adrian Newey, Rob Marshall, Christian Horner, and Honda, facing the enormous challenge of developing its own power unit in-house. It is an opportunity to start from a blank slate, with Mekies already setting the top priority: keeping Max Verstappen in the team.
A new chapter begins
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marks the end of a regulatory cycle in which both Mercedes and Ferrari finish without world titles. Unlike McLaren and Red Bull, the teams from Maranello and Brackley never fully understood the complexities of ground-effect regulations, which will be a distant memory next year. The hope for both is that the underlying issues preventing success are not more deeply rooted, in the very fundamentals that McLaren has used to build its fortune.
2026 is a massive unknown, and despite rumors, no one can predict which team will enter in the strongest position. Each team is questioning whether its goals for developing the new car are ambitious enough and whether the right performance areas were prioritized. The upcoming tests in a few weeks will provide the first tentative answers, but for now, fans can enjoy the day when Formula 1 celebrates a world-champion McLaren and crowns Lando Norris as the sport’s newest world champion.
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