Lando Norris praises Max Verstappen after incredible 2025 Formula 1 title battle. Lando Norris reflects on Max Verstappen’s incredible comeback in the 2025 F1 season.

Lando Norris, the 2025 Formula 1 world champion, has praised Max Verstappen’s remarkable performance throughout the season. Despite having a slightly slower car, the Dutch driver came within just two points of a fifth consecutive title, leaving Norris humbled by the feat.

Norris champion, Verstappen exceptional

Just like the previous technical cycle in 2021, the 2025 season saw a change at the top. Four years ago, Max Verstappen dethroned Lewis Hamilton in the chaotic Abu Dhabi finale. This year, however, it was Lando Norris who claimed the crown, becoming the 35th driver in F1 history to enter the world championship winners’ list.

Lando Norris knows he seized a rare opportunity—possibly the best in his career—especially considering that teams will reset in February and McLaren may struggle to be competitive. Despite his triumph, Lando Norris took a moment after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to acknowledge Verstappen’s extraordinary comeback, which saw him recover from a -104 deficit in Zandvoort to finish just two points shy of the championship, despite having a car overall slower than the McLaren.

Lando Norris’ words

“Last year I was disappointed to finish second. Every driver wants to win, and even after Zandvoort—where a broken engine left me 34 points behind Oscar Piastri—I never gave up,” Lando Norris told Sky Sports UK.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting there to still be a chance, but I think if this year showed anything, it wasn’t really about me. Seeing Max recover 100 points and reach where he ended up was incredible. He didn’t even need respect, he already had it because he’s a multi-world champion who has achieved everything possible, probably even more. Closing that gap, however, gives him even more credit.”

With the 2026 regulations set to wipe the slate clean in February, Lando Norris knows this might have been his best shot at the crown. That he is willing to share the stage with the driver who pushed him hardest says everything about the respect between two of the grid’s biggest stars as a new era dawns.