McLaren racing driver Lando Norris has finally broken his silence on the whirlwind of emotions he experienced on the day he was crowned the Formula 1 World Champion for the first time. In a candid vlog shared on his personal YouTube channel, the British driver detailed the intense feelings leading up to and during the season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he secured the 2025 title.
From Pre-Race Nerves to Unusual Calm
Norris confessed that on the morning of the championship-deciding race, he was grappling with uncertainty about how he should feel or act. Despite his usual habit of feeling nervous before every qualifying session and race, he experienced a surprising sense of calm once he settled into his McLaren cockpit. "I didn't know how to feel, I didn't know how to act," Norris revealed. "I thought I'd be pretty damn nervous, because I do get nervous every race, every qualifying, always. But it felt different."
The finale was won on track by Red Bull's Max Verstappen, with Norris's McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finishing second. Norris crossed the line in third place. However, those crucial points were enough for him to clinch the Drivers' Championship by a narrow margin of just two points, dashing Verstappen's hopes of a fifth consecutive title.
The Final Laps: A Flood of Memories
Norris described the final moments of the race as surreal, with time seeming to slow down in the last two laps. His mind became hyper-focused on the mechanics of his car. "You start thinking about every little screw, every bolt, every wire," he said. This technical focus then gave way to a wave of personal memories.
Unexpectedly, his thoughts travelled back to his very first day in a go-kart. "I just started thinking of my first day in a go-kart. I was on a kind of mini tennis court, and we put some slicks on the go-kart, and I was just doing some donuts and having some fun," Norris recalled. It was then that he pictured his mother waiting in the garage, which triggered a profound realisation of what was about to happen.
"All of a sudden, I pictured my mom in the garage. That was the first time, the first moment the whole year, that I started to realise what was happening—what was about to happen. And all I did was picture the garage, picture my parents there, my brother, my sisters, all in the garage for the final four corners," he emotionally added.
A Family Affair: Celebrations with Loved Ones
The emotional victory was immediately shared with his closest family and partner. His mother, Cisca, who was dressed in McLaren's signature papaya orange colours, rushed to embrace her son the moment his title win was confirmed. In a public confirmation of their relationship, Norris also sought out his girlfriend, Margarida Corceiro, for a celebratory kiss and hug, after the pair had kept their romance private for a long time.
Reflecting on the entire experience, Norris summed it up as "the best 24 hours of my life." His journey from karting on a mini tennis court to standing atop the Formula 1 world podium is a testament to years of dedication, culminating in a dramatic and emotional victory in Abu Dhabi.
