The 26-year-old secured the crown with a measured third place in Abu Dhabi, holding his nerve in a three-way showdown with Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.
Starting second, he slipped behind his team-mate on the opening lap and rejoined in heavy traffic after his stop, but managed the pressure to deliver exactly what he needed — finishing on the podium to become Britain’s 11th drivers’ champion and McLaren’s first since 2008.
Climbing out of the car in tears, Norris admitted the reality of the achievement hit him harder than he expected.
“I’ve not cried in a while,” he said.
“I didn’t think I would cry, but I did… It’s a long journey.”
He thanked McLaren, his family and those who had backed him from the beginning, adding: “It feels amazing. Now know what Max feels like a little bit.”
Norris has spent nine years with McLaren, joining as a junior and debuting in F1 with the team in 2019, making Sunday’s breakthrough deeply personal.
“We’ve been through plenty of crazy, difficult times and plenty of good times,” he said.
“For me to feel like I can bring something back to them as their first drivers’ [champion] in many, many years.
“I did my part for the team this year and I’m very proud of myself for that, but I’m even more proud for everyone that I’ve hopefully made cry.”
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His title campaign was built on consistency but punctuated by setbacks.
Early-season errors in Saudi Arabia and Canada left him chasing confidence and points as Piastri surged ahead.
“I’ve certainly had some fortune this year but I’ve certainly had a fair share of tough moments – especially at the beginning,” Norris said.
He conceded he “lost a little bit of belief early in the season”, but a turning point came with his stunning late pole in Monaco.
“The second half of the season I’ve really been able to show to myself what I could do, what I was capable of doing.”
From that moment he found momentum, finishing the year with seven poles, seven wins and 423 points.
A dominant victory in Mexico City restored his championship lead, but with Verstappen mounting a ferocious recovery and Piastri in the hunt all the way, Norris said the pressure never eased.
He described his rivals as “pretty freaking fast and certainly made my life tough”, adding: “Oscar the whole way since Round 1, I knew he was probably going to be the toughest guy to beat and then you can never count out Max – he’s Max.”
The battles with the four-time world champion were among the defining features of the season for Norris.
“It was a pleasure to fight Max… to share the track and fight against another world champion like him and certainly Oscar as well,” he said.
“As much as they made my life hell a lot of the time, those moments I almost enjoyed the most.”
McLaren CEO Zak Brown hailed Norris’ achievement and pushed back at suggestions that managing two title contenders under equal-treatment “papaya rules” would be unworkable.
“Most people thought that would be impossible to pull off,” he said.
“Oscar and Lando have been awesome all year. It hasn’t been easy. This Max guy is quite hard to beat, so it’s quite the accomplishment.”
Brown said he was “unbelievably proud” of the entire team and insisted McLaren will continue with the same approach as both drivers head into the future on long-term deals.
“To us, it’s the right way to go racing,” he said.
“Very proud of everyone conducting themselves – the teamwork, the highs and lows and how we dealt with the lows.”
For Norris, the title marks the culmination of years of gradual ascent and a season-long test of resilience.
“It’s been a long year, but we did it and I’m so proud of everyone,” he said.
“It’s been an incredible season.”
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