Lando Norris is the 2025 Formula 1 World Champion, but he has not yet received the official trophy. The FIA regulations clarify why this is the case and when the award ceremony will take place.
Although Norris secured the World Championship by finishing third in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — enough to beat race winner Max Verstappen by just two points in his seventh F1 season — he could not celebrate with the most coveted prize in the sport on the day of his triumph. It may seem paradoxical, but the rules are clear about the timing and procedures for awarding the Drivers’ World Championship trophy.
Why the trophy isn’t handed out after the final race
The explanation is entirely regulatory. The winner’s trophy for the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship is not awarded on track but exclusively during the FIA end-of-season prize-giving ceremony. This is a longstanding rule: the International Federation organizes a formal gala, in evening attire, which officially closes the sporting year for all categories under its governance.
In 2025, the ceremony is scheduled for Friday, 12 December, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Only at this event will Norris be able to lift the authentic trophy for the first time. Crafted in sterling silver with gold accents, it bears the engraved signatures of all previous world champions.
Another detail specified in the regulations: only one authentic version exists. The trophy seen in Abu Dhabi in the days leading up to the race was merely a replica, intended for display and official photographs.
The FIA’s regulatory reasoning
There is also a legal reason behind this rule. Teams have the opportunity to submit formal appeals or reviews of race events in the days following the final Grand Prix. As a result, the FIA considers the World Championship “officially assigned” only on the eve of the gala. This measure is designed to avoid disputes like those that occurred at the end of the 2021 season.
According to current rules, the top three drivers in the championship are required to attend the ceremony: Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri will all be present in Tashkent. Financial penalties apply in case of absence.
The fate of Lando Norris’ trophy
After the ceremony, the trophy will not remain with the champion permanently. It will be temporarily displayed at McLaren’s Woking headquarters before returning under FIA custody and ultimately being passed on to the 2026 champion a year later. If Norris wishes to keep a personal version of the trophy, he will need to commission a replica at his own expense.
In the meantime, the title is official: Norris has claimed his first World Championship, becoming McLaren’s first champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, and completing a season that has already entered the history books. The trophy will arrive — but only according to the rules. In Formula 1, even the celebration of a champion follows the regulations.
So while Norris has every right to call himself world champion today, the silverware has to wait a few more days. In Formula 1 even the biggest celebration has to follow the rulebook.
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