Lando Norris Celebrates First F1 Title with McLaren Team at Factory
Newly crowned 2025 F1 World Champion Lando Norris celebrated his title with the McLaren team at their factory, thanking the entire squad for their role in his success. He highlighted the crucial push from teammate Oscar Piastri and reflected on fulfilling a lifelong dream, marking McLaren's first drivers' championship since 2008.
Lando Norris returned to the McLaren Technology Centre for the first time since clinching the 2025 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship, celebrating the historic achievement with the entire team that made it possible. The 26-year-old, who secured the title by a mere two points over Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi, reflected on the collective effort behind his success and the dream he has held since childhood.
Why it matters:
Norris's championship breaks a 17-year drought for McLaren, marking the team's first drivers' title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008. His victory, achieved in one of the closest title fights in recent history against teammate Oscar Piastri and rival Max Verstappen, signals a full resurgence for the Woking-based squad and validates years of rebuilding. The celebration underscores the critical role of team unity in modern F1, where individual success is inextricably linked to collective performance.
The details:
- Norris needed only a podium finish at the season finale in Abu Dhabi to secure the championship, which he achieved with a third-place result, finishing the season with 423 points to Verstappen's 421 and Piastri's 410.
- Upon arrival at the MTC, he was greeted with a guard of honour by the team. A show car of his 2025 championship-winning machine was displayed alongside the chassis of Hamilton's 2008 title-winning McLaren, visually connecting the team's legendary past with its triumphant present.
- In his speech, Norris emphasized that the achievement "means nothing without the people who helped you achieve it," highlighting the contributions from his family, engineers, mechanics, and every team member involved in designing and building the car.
- He reserved significant praise for teammate Oscar Piastri, stating that racing alongside him for the past three seasons "pushed me a lot more" and played a "massive part" in the journey, acknowledging their fierce but constructive rivalry that lasted until the final race.
The big picture:
Norris's title caps a remarkable period for McLaren, which has now secured back-to-back Constructors' Championships with its driver pairing. His championship speech, focused on team effort over individual glory, reflects a modern F1 ethos and solidifies his role not just as a champion driver, but as a central pillar of the McLaren project. The moment symbolizes the culmination of the team's long-term strategy to return to the summit of the sport.
What's next:
The celebration marks both an ending and a beginning. With the hardware now secured, the focus for Norris and McLaren immediately shifts to defending both titles in 2026. The team will aim to build on this momentum, while the dynamic between Norris and the ever-competitive Piastri will continue to be a fascinating subplot as McLaren seeks to establish a new era of dominance.