Sky Sports: “Just like Verstappen, Norris showed a strong resurrection”
In the run-up to the title-deciding race in Abu Dhabi, a lot of attention was paid to the strong progress of Max Verstappen, who managed to overcome a deficit of 104 points after the Dutch Grand Prix to such an extent that he was still fighting for the title in the last race. Just at that moment the catch-up race failed, because Lando Norris, as championship leader, only had to finish third at the Yas Marina Circuit. “Norris ends Verstappen’s four-year reign as world champion at the end of his seventh season at the highest level,” writes Sky Sports F1 in her race report. “The Red Bull driver’s impressive comeback in the title race ultimately fell just two points short, despite his dominant victory in the season finale on Sunday.”
The British medium states that Norris only experienced “exciting moments” after his first pit stop, as he found himself in traffic and had to quickly fight his way to the front. “This included Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull,” the reporter explains one specific. There is also a reason for this: he had been instructed to do everything he could to keep Norris behind him for as long as possible, but according to the stewards, he went too far in that defense: he moved too much and was given a five-second time penalty. “A strong race from Charles Leclerc ensured that the Ferrari driver posed a threat to Norris’ title position for a long time, but he ultimately finished more than five seconds behind the McLaren in fourth.”
Sky Sports F1 notes that Verstappen’s comeback in the title race attracted “the most attention” in recent months, but Norris had “in turn shown a strong resurrection”, according to the medium. As a result, he returned to the lead of the title race in the final weeks of the championship. Prior to the 58-lap race, there was much speculation about polesitter Verstappen’s tactics, as a win alone would not be enough for his fifth title in a row if Norris finished second or third. However, the suggestion that Verstappen would hold up the field to strategically push Norris back turned out to be unjustified. Verstappen eventually won by twelve seconds and took his eighth victory of the season – one more than both brand new champion Norris as teammate Piastri.”
Marca: “Stella’s team deserves a 10 – especially after a miss in Qatar”
The Spanish Marca reflects on the resurrection of McLaren as a whole. For the first time since 1998, it managed to win both titles, after having only won the constructors’ title last year. “It has only been a year and a half since Norris won his first victory in Miami and the papaya era began – which has been completely dominant during this period, ending in 2025,” the reporter states. “Piastri seemed destined to leave Zandvoort 37 points ahead of Lando, but a historic setback, in which McLaren claims it did not intervene, and a great resurrection from his teammate at the decisive moment, gave the title to the new world champion.”
The medium adds that Norris’s “greater regularity” with a car that is superior in almost everything has earned him the title. “Even if it was only by two points. Everyone knows that Max is the best driver of the moment, perhaps even in history, but Norris had to endure several crucial moments and did so like a star: he overtook five cars, including two with the red bull on the flank,” Marca refers to the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and RB21 of Tsunoda. “Piastri finished third, but may have been sacrificed by an alternative strategy. He could have won the race, but McLaren kept him tactically tight so he couldn’t push the pace or disrupt the race. Stella’s team deserves a ten – especially after the miss in Qatar.”
Lando Norris kept his cool and won the F1 title in Abu Dhabi.
Foto door: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
L’Équip: “Norris seemed to feel tension in opening round”
The French L’Équipe judges that Verstappen “won convincingly” and thus “did his part of the assignment” to have a chance of winning that fifth title in a row. “But Norris, who was leading the standings, kept his cool,” the race report reads. Yet he was not cool all the time. “The opening lap suggested that Norris felt the tension; after all, he had the most to lose with 12 points ahead of Verstappen and 16 ahead of Piastri at the start. The Australian immediately passed him in Turn 9, despite his harder tires.”
Like Sky Sports, L’Équipe sees the phase shortly after the pit stop as the “most exciting moment” for Norris. “He had to make his way through a train of cars – including Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, two Red Bull drivers. Lawson was put aside with a daring double overtake, after Norris had first outpaced Lance Stroll. With Tsunoda, on worn tires, it became a lot more difficult. The Japanese defended fiercely and zigzagged on the long straight. Norris, not wanting to lose time, opted to go off the track to complete the overtaking maneuver – with the risk of a penalty. It was exciting for five laps (especially for the team, because Norris himself said he did not know that an investigation was underway), but in the end the stewards decided to give Tsunoda a five-second penalty for changing lines too often, while Norris himself received no penalty.”
After that moment, Norris had only one task: “Remain faultless until the end. Charles Leclerc tried to put pressure on him with a second pit stop for new mediums, but Norris countered the strategy and kept enough margin to stay ahead of the Ferrari. Neither Leclerc nor George Russell had the speed to threaten the McLaren duo or to influence the title battle.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Verstappen comeback will go down in history”
“Winning the last race to conclude his impressive season comeback was not enough for Max Verstappen,” says La Gazzetta dello Sportwhich was surprised by Piastri’s overtaking action on teammate Norris in the opening lap and speaks of a “turn” in the title battle. “So no team orders at McLaren – the papayas don’t give each other anything. It immediately becomes exciting for Norris, because Charles Leclerc follows close behind him with a strong racing pace.”
Ultimately, Leclerc was unable to pose a threat. The Italian medium states that the Monegasque “ends a difficult Ferrari year with a strong fourth place”. “But all eyes turn to the front: Norris, third on the line, is met by a delirious McLaren pit wall. The team is celebrating a historic title. Verstappen gives a speech of thanks over the radio for a season comeback that will certainly go down in the books. Norris, on the other hand, breaks down in tears, in disbelief and overwhelmed: “I love you guys, you are great,” it sounds on the on-board radio – just before he gets out and receives the warmest hug of the year.”
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