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Lando Norris won his maiden Formula 1 World Championship at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and according to the driver, support from legendary figures including Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel played a meaningful role during his grueling championship battle against Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen.
Norris clinched the title with a hard-earned third-place finish at the Yas Marina Circuit, securing his first world championship after what can only be described as a dramatic and emotionally taxing season. The 2025 campaign featured intense competition, personal struggles, and a particularly fractious dynamic with his McLaren teammate that tested the British driver both mentally and emotionally.
The championship battle itself was extraordinarily tight. Norris lost the lead to Piastri early in the season after qualifying sixth in Bahrain and crashing in Saudi Arabia, relinquishing the championship lead for the first time in April. Throughout the year, he faced significant setbacks—including a race-ending failure at the Dutch Grand Prix that threatened to derail his title ambitions entirely.
What makes Norris's achievement particularly remarkable is the psychological resilience required to mount a successful championship challenge amid such turbulence. The driver has reflected on how support from the F1 community proved instrumental during these difficult moments. Hamilton, Vettel, and other prominent figures within motorsport reached out with encouragement that helped sustain Norris's focus during the critical final races.
While the search results confirm these messages of support were exchanged, the specific details and full content of these private conversations remain largely private—a testament to the personal nature of the encouragement Norris received from these F1 icons.
Norris's title charge crystallized when he reclaimed the championship lead for the first time since April with victories in Mexico and Brazil. By the time the championship arrived at Abu Dhabi for the final round, Verstappen sat just 12 points behind after both McLaren drivers were disqualified from the Las Vegas results—a dramatic twist that reignited the title fight.
In Abu Dhabi, despite qualifying second and being overtaken by Piastri on the opening lap, Norris demonstrated the composure and determination that defined his championship-winning campaign, ultimately finishing third to claim the crown by just two points over Verstappen.
Beyond the technical aspects of his achievement, Norris has made emotional admissions about his family and the personal sacrifices required to pursue an F1 championship. The support network—including messages from established champions like Hamilton and Vettel—provided crucial mental reinforcement during periods when doubt could easily have taken hold.
Norris joins an elite group as a McLaren World Champion, following in the footsteps of legendary drivers who have worn the papaya colors. His maiden championship represents not just a personal triumph, but validation of McLaren's resurgence as a competitive force in modern Formula 1.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.