Formula 1 News: 2025 Abu Dhabi GP Post-Race Press Conference
The post-race press conference for the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, held on December 7, 2025, at Yas Marina Circuit, celebrated the Formula 1 season finale. It featured podium finishers Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing, 1st), Oscar Piastri (McLaren, 2nd), and Lando Norris (McLaren, 3rd).
–by Mark Cipolloni–
The event highlighted Norris’s crowning as the 2025 FIA Formula One World Champion, marking McLaren’s first Drivers’ title in over two decades. The tone was overwhelmingly emotional and celebratory, blending raw gratitude, reflections on a grueling season, and mutual respect among rivals, with minimal controversy. No team principals participated directly, but McLaren’s team culture was frequently praised.
Highlights followed by Full Transcript
Opening: Introductions and Race Reflections
The session kicked off with trackside interviews by David Coulthard, who hailed Norris as the 35th F1 world champion and the “biggest prize in motorsport.” Norris, visibly teary-eyed, dedicated the win to his McLaren team of nine years, parents, and family, recounting their sacrifices from his karting days.
He described the season as “tight and feisty,” congratulating Verstappen and Piastri as key learning influences, and emphasized compartmentalizing the achievement as a collective triumph. Norris noted the relief of the final laps, unaware of a cleared investigation into his overtake on Yuki Tsunoda, and savored the rare privilege of the moment.
In the formal conference, Verstappen opened by lauding Red Bull’s pole-to-win performance and the car’s drivability, despite challenges from Piastri’s alternative strategy complicating traffic management. He called the season a “massive rollercoaster”—tough early on but redeemed by late turnaround and unyielding effort—while congratulating Norris on a childhood dream realized through McLaren’s hard work and smart hires.
Piastri, on his 16th podium, admitted a strategic gamble fell short due to a missed practice session but was pleased with third, acknowledging Verstappen’s unmatched pace. Season-wise, he expressed pride in leading the title longer than anyone else, securing poles, wins, and podiums that eclipsed his rookie years, viewing it as vital growth amid adversity.
Norris’s remarks formed the emotional centerpiece, struggling to articulate the “indescribable” feeling. He prioritized thanking his team, engineers, and family for validating their sacrifices, contrasting it with prior highs like his first F1 win. The weekend was bittersweet—early promise in Australia soured by inconsistencies and Piastri’s steadiness—but he credited external support (friends, coaches) for maintaining calm, transforming first-half errors into second-half dominance around Zandvoort.
Season Reflections and Personal Growth
Verstappen’s reflections were resilient and forward-looking, admitting he “hated” the car at times but grew to love it, claiming his best-ever driving through mid-season woes. He had no regrets in the title fight, monitoring for incidents until the end, and praised race engineer “GP” as a passionate ally. Heading into 2026, Red Bull’s energy felt positive.
Piastri balanced disappointment with optimism, noting lessons in driving (e.g., varied conditions) and handling personal setbacks like Austin and Mexico. He dismissed title-race fallout affecting McLaren dynamics, expecting equal treatment for Norris as champion and crediting the team’s “papaya rules” for fostering productive rivalry. Off-season plans included Australian family time, rest, and cricket during the Ashes.
Norris embodied humility, shaking in the final corners as memories flooded back. He stressed consistency over single-race heroics, avoiding risks like chasing fastest lap for safety. Growth came from fair, honest racing—learning from mistakes like Montreal—while respecting idols like seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton (the “GOAT”) and four-time winner Verstappen. Early slumps (races 2-6) spurred mental professionals for clarity, turning pressure into focus despite a 34-point lead. He remained “the same Lando”—self-critical and truthful—regretting heated comments but valuing authenticity. Celebrations would involve team partying, prioritizing others’ joy.
Praises underscored sportsmanship: Verstappen admired Norris’s emotional authenticity and McLaren’s comeback; Piastri deemed Norris “deserving” and competition a team booster; Norris called rivals “honorable.”
Q&A Highlights: Tactics, Lessons, and Outlook
The Q&A delved into tactics and introspection. Verstappen clarified no intentional field-backup on the new layout, crediting Charles Leclerc’s podium push, and affirmed this as his peak driving season.
Piastri highlighted exceeding third-year peers’ wins, embracing future hunger despite career comparisons’ weight, and likened F1 title stress to juniors but amplified by 24 rounds’ stakes.
Norris explained Zandvoort’s lead intensified upgrades, not relief, and beat Verstappen through consistency, not superiority. Race nerves involved committed traffic battles (e.g., Tsunoda), but he stayed composed. A minor controversy nod came via Verstappen on a Spain clash with George Russell—dismissed as “racing” with no regrets.
Overall, the conference radiated resilience and teamwork, with emotional peaks (tears, dedications) tempering reflective lows (disappointment, challenges). It encapsulated a season of tight battles, personal evolution, and McLaren’s resurgence, setting an uplifting tone for 2026.
Full Transcript
DRIVERS
1 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing)
2 – Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren)
3 – Lando NORRIS (McLaren)
TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by David Coulthard)
Q: Lando Norris, you are a world champion! The world champion!
Lando NORRIS: The world champion. Oh, God. I’ve not cried in a while. I didn’t think I would cry, but I did. It’s a long journey. First of all, I want to say a big thanks to my guys, everyone in McLaren, my parents. I’m not crying. My mom, my dad, you know, they’re the ones who supported me since the beginning. Oh, I look like a loser!
Q: You look like a winner to me. You’re only the 35th man to win a Formula 1 world championship. This is the biggest prize in motor sport.
LN: I mean it feels amazing, you know. Yeah. I now know what Max feels like a little bit and I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competitors the whole season. It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them. It’s been an honour. I’ve learned a lot from both of them as well, so I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a long year. But we did it. We did it. And I’m so proud of everyone.
Q: Look, it’s been an incredible season. It was so tight between you all. You were feisty in that race as well. We were curious to know, would you sit back and not take any risks, but you pulled off some good passes, did what you had to do. How much of that world championship was in your mind when you were running in third and how much is it just in the moment?
LN: It’s a bit of both. I mean, you can’t not think of it. But anyway, it’s a long race to the very end. You know, we’ve seen many times anything in Formula 1 can happen, and I just kept pushing until the last two or three laps, [then] I could ease it off a bit, but I was still wanting to fight to the end and that’s what we did. That’s what we had to do this season, you know, with Max chasing us the whole way, with Oscar catching up again at the end. They certainly didn’t make my life easy this year. But yeah, I don’t know. I’m happy.
Q: Understandably so. And, you know, this is a beautiful moment of winning your first world championship. I don’t know if you were aware of a moment — we were — you were under investigation with the overtake on Tsunoda where you went beyond the white lines, and of course nothing came of that. But were you aware of it? Did your team tell you? Because we were all on the edge of our seats.
LN: I had no idea. I had no idea. I didn’t care. I mean, I knew what I did was fine so I had nothing to worry about. Yeah. I was just trying to enjoy the moment. You know, there’s not many people in the world, not many people in Formula 1 ever get to experience what I’ve experienced this season and this year. So, I’m happy for everyone. I’m happy for everyone more than me, but yeah, I’m just crazy happy.
Q: That’s wonderful to see. We’re looking across, we see Zak Brown, we see your parents, your brother, your family, everyone here who’s been on this journey with you. So just once again, are you able to compartmentalise — you are the world champion?
LN: I mean, look, it’s been a long journey with me and McLaren. I’ve been with them for like nine years and we’ve been through plenty of crazy difficult times and plenty of good times, you know. So, for me to feel like I can bring something back to them — it’s their first Drivers’ in many, many years — so I feel like 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.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Max, look, very well done. What a race. What a season! How do you reflect on the race and the weekend as a whole? Let’s start with that.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Well, honestly, we maximized everything that we could. We put it on pole, and we won the race. And I think also in the race, we had very strong pace. So, there’s really not much that I could have done different. I think what complicated it a bit was that Oscar was on a different strategy. So, you never know, of course, when he then pits, how much pace he has in hand to catch up again. That also complicates a bit trying to keep the pack together or whatever. But, yeah, overall, just very proud again of the weekend that we had. We put it all out there, and, yeah, the car was actually enjoyable to drive.
Q: And what about the season as a whole? I mean, think back to Hungary where you finished more than a minute behind the winner, and here you are within two points of the world champion.
MV: Yeah. Massive rollercoaster for us. Of course, the first half had some nice moments, but mainly tough moments — some really tough races and feelings. But I’m also very proud of how we never gave up. And, again, that’s also a lesson for the future, for everyone, that even when it looks like you’re out of it, you never give up. You keep working hard to try and understand your issues, and then you never know what can happen.
Q: Final one. A few words from you on our new world champion, Lando Norris.
MV: Winning your first title is something that I think we all dreamt of when you get into the sport. You work for that since you’re a little kid. It’s what you dream of. So, when you win your first title, this is very emotional. And, yeah, I hope for Lando as well. You know, I saw a lot of his family is here, so it’s important to enjoy this a lot as well tonight. Also, with his team. I think, again, that’s another story where it showed that even when you have tough years, when you keep working hard, you keep adding good people to the team, you can overcome all of those things, and you can become very successful again. And, yeah, they had an incredible season together, so it’s important that they enjoy it.
Q: Oscar, many congratulations on your 16th podium of 2025. You raced hard and fast this evening. How do you reflect on the race and the weekend?
Oscar PIASTRI: I think, honestly, pretty good. There wasn’t anything left out there. Obviously, we tried a bit of a gamble on the strategy to give ourselves some different options and hope that the stars aligned to give ourselves the best chance. But ultimately, in the end, that didn’t happen. So, yeah, I think given as well I missed a practice session, it took a little bit to find my feet. I think that was the maximum we could have achieved today. We didn’t have an answer for Max’s pace. So pretty happy with the weekend. Not much more we could have done.
Q: And the season as a whole, how do you reflect on that? You led the title longer than any other driver this year.
OP: Yeah. I mean, I think, obviously, I would have wished for a slightly different ending, but I think this year I’ve learned a hell of a lot about myself as a race car driver, myself as a person. I think if you had presented this season at the start of the year with the pole positions and the wins and the podiums, I definitely would have been pretty happy with that. And I think even in the tough moments, I’ve learned a lot about myself and how I can be stronger in the future. So, I think, ultimately, there’s a little bit of disappointment, obviously, but I think I can be very proud of the season I’ve had and plenty of lessons to take to the future.
Q: And can we get your thoughts on Lando and the job he’s done this year to be world champion?
OP: I think a very deserving winner. I know that every weekend I go on track, it’s going to be tough. And I think we’ve pushed each other through the last three years. I think especially this season has been tighter than ever. So, yeah, I think he’s had a great season. Probably all three of us, but obviously, myself and Lando in the same team, in the same car, have had our ups and downs at different moments. Ultimately, I think he’s had a good season and a deserving champion.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Scott Mitchell-Malm – The Race). Max, you hinted a little bit at the complication with Oscar’s strategy and how you ran your race. Did you give much thought pre-race or during the race about backing up or trying to impact the flow of the race that way? Or was it more just focus on getting the job done out front?
MV: I had a lot of scenarios in my head, but then, of course, I knew once the tires Oscar had on the car, that would be quite difficult. I think we were probably a bit too quick up front. The others couldn’t really follow that well. I think Charles drove his heart out today to try and get onto that podium, so that was also impressive to see. But, of course, they went for a two-stop. I think even that made it more complicated because if you stay on a one-stop, backing the whole thing up is tough. And I think this new layout around here makes it even harder to do that compared to 2016 or whatever.
Q: (Ben Waterworth – Speedcafe) Oscar, you obviously touched on the disappointment of the season and ultimately not achieving what you were hoping. But do you think, in reflection, you’ll look back at this year as a success? Not to take away from the careers of your other two rivals but neither of them was fighting for a world championship in their third season. You’ve come away with the most ever wins by an Australian in a single season. Can you take that hunger for the title into next year?
OP: Definitely. I mean, comparing different parts of different people’s careers is always difficult with different cars and stuff. But I think definitely I can be very proud of the season I’ve had. When I look at this season compared to my first two years in F1, this year has been head and shoulders above the first two. Ultimately, whilst the end result is not quite what I wanted, there’s a lot of optimism and a lot of strength that I’ve gained from proving to myself what I can achieve through this season. Those are the kinds of things that are not necessarily tied to results. So I think for me, I can definitely take that forward into the future. It’s only my third attempt at this in F1. Hopefully, I’ve got plenty more to go, but there are definitely lessons from this year that will only make me stronger.
Q: (Tim Hauraney – TSN) Max, congratulations on the race win. We heard you on the radio to GP. What has he meant to you over your career, in particular this season with all the ups and downs?
MV: It’s been an emotional year. Forget about the results this year. I also don’t want to go too much into detail, but it’s been tough. But I’m very happy to be able to work with someone that passionate. Of course, he is my race engineer, but I see him as my friend. We have lived through so many emotional things together and fantastic achievements. I’m sure he was a bit emotional after the flag. So, I’m really looking forward to leaving here and catching up with him because it’s not been easy at times for him. I’m just very proud to be able to work with someone that good. A proper example of someone that never gave up this season, even through the difficult times.
Q: (Ronald Vording – Motorsport.com) Oscar, you mentioned a couple of times that you’ve learned a lot of lessons this year. What have been the most valuable lessons? Is that related to Austin, Mexico, or does it go further?
OP: Ultimately both, I think. There’ve definitely been lessons directly to do with how I drive the car, how I can be better in different conditions, and just become a better all-round driver. There have also been lessons outside the car — dealing with adversity, dealing with difficult moments. I’ve learned a lot about myself in those kinds of things. So, there have been lessons both in and out of the car that will definitely help me for the future.
Q: (Julian Linden – Herald Sun) Oscar, 91 days till Melbourne. I’m sure you’re not thinking about it now. What will you do over the summer break to prepare for it? How will you rest and recuperate?
OP: Yeah, it’s nice having another summer break. I’m going back to Australia for a little bit, see my family and friends, give my annual hellos and goodbyes. I’m looking forward to some time away from racing, to be honest. It’s been a long, demanding season. As enjoyable as driving the fastest cars in the world is, a break now and again is always a nice thing. So, I’m just looking forward to not thinking about race cars and spending time with people around me. Then obviously, the new season is not far away, so it’s going to be important to enjoy that time off and then come back refreshed with the new challenges for next year.
Q: (Mat Coch – PlanetF1.com) Max, result and championship outcome aside, is this the best that you feel you’ve ever driven in Formula 1?
MV: Yeah, I think so. I mean, I have no regrets about my season. I think the performance has been strong. I’ve hated this car at times, but I’ve also loved it at times. And I always tried to extract the most from it, even in the difficult weekends that we’ve had. But, yeah, it’s been, like I said before, a proper rollercoaster with the car. Luckily, the last, I would say, eight, nine rounds in general have been a lot more enjoyable. And also, in the team, we have a great atmosphere at the moment. We’re really on a roll — positive energy, belief, confidence — and that’s exactly what you want heading into next year.
Q: (Vincent Sondermeijer – NRC Netherlands) Max, was there a point during the race where you sort of resigned and thought, “Okay, I’m not going to win the title,” or did you keep believing that there might be something happening until the final lap?
MV: I just kept looking on the screen to see if something would pop up. Yeah, I mean, the race itself went really well, and I was just enjoying sitting in the car and driving it. And every straight you keep looking if something happens, but at the same time, that’s part of racing. So I was not really too fussed about it.
Q: (Tom Cary – The Telegraph) Oscar, you mentioned taking some time. Are you going to get to any of the cricket this winter? Don’t know if you were aware of the result earlier today in the Ashes…
OP: Oh yes, I am.
Q: (Tom Cary – The Telegraph) Did you think maybe luck was on your side — Australia gave England an absolute walloping there — and in time for the race as well?
OP: Yeah, it was nice that the boys could wrap it up before the race started. Hopefully, I will get to some cricket — ideally Boxing Day, given it’s in Melbourne. I mean, there’s part of me that kind of wants the series to still be alive by that point, and part of me that really doesn’t. So I’ll take whatever we can get. It’s been enjoyable to watch for the last couple of weeks.
Q: (Tom Cary – The Telegraph) Oscar, you’ve been in quite a few championship battles since your career began. Is fighting for an F1 title anything comparable to other championship fights you’ve had?
OP: I think there are similarities, yes. The emotions you feel are more or less the same. I think what’s different in F1, when I compare it to the junior championships, is the length. The longest junior championship I had was ten rounds. This one has been two and a half times that. The duration you have to live through is much more. My F2 season, for example, was eight rounds., So I think that part is quite different. And I think just the stakes are a little bit different as well. In the junior categories, you obviously want to win the championship, but you’re trying to make your case for why you should be in F1. I think we’ve seen through the years — Max is probably the perfect example — you don’t need to win championships to demonstrate your capabilities for F1. Whereas when you get to F1, there’s nothing more than becoming champion. So that aspect is a bit different, but, yeah, there are also some similarities.
Q: (Leonid Kliuev – Grande Premio Brazil) Oscar, how do you think the dynamics will change next year in the team between yourself and Lando? Will it be harder to fight with him now that he’s a reigning world champion?
OP: No, I don’t think so. I don’t think that will change anything. For me, he’s obviously had a great season this year and a deserving champion, but he’s still Lando Norris. It’s not like he’s become Superman. So, I don’t think things will change with that. I’m expecting full fairness from the team and equality going forward. I don’t have any concerns that that will change at all. Clearly, Lando’s had a very strong season this year, and ultimately did a better job.
Q: (Jack Smith (Motorsport Monday / MotorsportWeek.com) Max, to follow up on Matt’s question. Given how well you did drive this year and how much ground you made up to take it all the way to this race, can you take as much pride from this season compared to the pride you took from the last four years when you did win the championship?
MV: I mean, at the end of the day, of course, it’s always nicer to win it. But, honestly, I’m sitting here now with probably a better feeling than what I had last year at this time because the second half of last year was pretty tricky at times as well. So, we have been struggling for, I would say, a year — the second half of last year and the first half of this year. But I actually feel a lot better now. Of course, shame to miss out on the title, but at the same time, for a long period of time I was not even thinking about the title. I never felt like I was in it until a few rounds ago. That’s pretty crazy. But, yeah, you take your pride in different ways. I’m happy with myself and going into next year I’m not in a state of having to worry about my skills or whatever. So, yeah, I feel good.
Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Oscar, just picking up on your point about fairness. McLaren’s got quite a bit of flack at points this year for the papaya rules and the equality between you and Lando. But we’ve got through this season without any major bust-ups and the team achieved the ultimate goal of a McLaren driver winning the title. How much is that testament to the team’s approach and culture?
OP: I think it is a testament to the way we go racing. Obviously, it’s not easy fighting for both the Constructors’ Championship and the Drivers’ Championship with two very evenly matched drivers. But ultimately, that’s a problem we knew we were going to have. At the end of the day, I think there’s a lot of good things that come from that. Yes, there’s difficult moments and tension at times, but I think both Lando and I have become better drivers from pushing each other to the limit. Sometimes that’s been uncomfortable for everyone, but ultimately, yeah, it’s been a good thing. We’ve had a lot of discussions through the year, and I’m sure we’ll have discussions in the off-season about anything we want to do slightly differently for next year. But I think at the end of the day, they gave us both as good a chance as the team could have to fairly fight for a world championship, and that’s all you can ask for.
Q: (Giles Richards – The Guardian) Max, you lost out to Lando by just two points. What do you think now about the incident with George Russell in Spain? Do you regret that looking back in hindsight?
MV: You forget all the other stuff that happened in my season. The only thing you mention is Barcelona. I knew that would come. You’re giving me a stupid grin now. I don’t know. Yeah, it’s part of racing at the end. You live and learn. The championship is one of 24 rounds. I’ve also had a lot of early Christmas presents given to me in the second half, so you can also question that.
CHAMPION’S PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: A very warm welcome to the FIA Formula One World Champion Lando Norris. Can you begin to describe how this feels for us?
LN: I just laugh. It’s tough to describe. It’s tough to put in words. I mean, I just want to go and spend some time with my team, my engineers, my mom and my dad. I don’t know what I’m going to say. So much goes into achieving what we’ve achieved today. You know, from all those years ago when I saw Formula 1 on the TV, when I saw a go-kart for the first time – my memories the last couple laps were really just that. They took me back to where it all started because I wouldn’t be here without my parents and the sacrifice they’ve done. My brother and my sisters, the amount of times they text me and I don’t get back to them. You know, just everything. Everything that leads into achieving what we all achieved today. And this is not my world championship. This is ours. This is one where I get to say, “Thank you, mom,” and “Thank you, dad.” They’re the ones who sacrificed so much to let me be the lucky boy that I am today – to live my dream, to do what I have loved doing since I was a kid, driving that go-kart for the first time at home. The best memories ever, you know. And so much goes into it every year. And for the first time, I really get to say thank you to them, to my parents, to my family. And I get to really make them feel like everything they did was worth it. They might have felt like it was worth it after getting to Formula 1 or getting the first win in Miami. But, you know, the thing that makes me smile every day is making my parents proud, making my friends proud, the people who support me so much through the plenty of tough times I’ve had this year, celebrate the good times that I’ve had this year. But I feel like I finally get something to say thank you – not just in words, but in terms of the volume of a championship – that they are just as much a part of as I feel like I go out on track and perform. They’re with me through every step of the way. And today, I just get to say thank you to all of them. I get to make them smile. And that’s all I really want in my life is all of them to be happy and to get to celebrate. And that’s what I managed to do for them all today.
Q: Lando, you were pretty convincing earlier in the weekend when you said you felt relaxed. Was that the reality? Just how tough has this weekend been for you emotionally?
LN: I’ve had a lot of tough moments in the beginning of the season. I had great moments – winning the first race in Australia certainly gave me a big boost. But quite quickly, I had not the best run of results, and Oscar did an incredible job, was consistently ahead of me. It got tricky at times. I think at the end of the day, it shows that consistency over a year is what helps achieve what we’ve achieved today. But those tricky moments, like everyone says, you’ve got to learn from them, acknowledge them, understand them. I’ve had to go above and beyond in terms of expanding my group, the people I work with on the track, and more so off the track. The amount of people that I have in my corner – not from McLaren but externally: my friends, my family, my coaches, people that help me think in better ways and perform in better ways. So many people allowed me to go out and be more calm and almost try and not acknowledge the pressure or just perform under pressure and have the second half of the season that I had. If I look back on it, my first half of the season – not the most impressive. Certainly, times I made some mistakes, made some bad judgments. I made my errors, as I’m sure every driver would admit to. But how I managed to turn all of that and have the second half of the season that I had is what makes me very proud – that I’ve been able to prove myself wrong.
There were doubts I had in the beginning of the year, and I proved myself wrong. And that’s something that makes me very happy. Like I said, this was a moment that I got to thank them all for that – all their hard work, all the stuff that other people do for me. This is my way of saying thank you. But I did feel calm. I felt calm until three corners to go. I started to shake a little bit. I got to think of all those incredible memories very quickly, and then I got to see the team when I went over the line. And this is a moment that I’ll never forget.
Q: Final one from me. Just how do you think you’re going to grow as a driver as a result of this championship?
LN: That I’ll find out. You know, I feel proud but not because I’m gonna wake up tomorrow and go, “I beat everyone.” I’m not proud because I get to just say I’m a world champion. I’m proud because I feel like I made a lot of other people happy. I made my engineer Will, Jarv as well – they don’t get to see their family much. They’ve seen me grow up more than they’ve seen their own kids grow up. I feel bad about that. But the fact that they put so much effort into making me perform and helping us… I’m shaking. Helping us all perform. The fact I get to make them feel like their time has been, hopefully, a little bit worth it—that’s what makes me so happy. I hope it doesn’t change anything I do, the way I think, the way I do things. I believe I won the championship this year my way – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an honest driver. At times, could I have been more aggressive and got off the brakes and had a few people over? I certainly could have done, and maybe I would need to do more of that in the future. But did I need to do it this year? Is that the way I want to go racing? Is that me? It’s not. And I’m sure if you compare me, if that’s what you wanna do, to all the champions: have I been as aggressive as them at times? No. Have I been as daring as them at times? No. But did I do just what I needed to do to win the world championship? Did I perform consistently? Did I perform when I needed to under the most pressure? Post-Zandvoort, did I come back in the way I had to? Did I have three, four weekends of great results? I did. And I performed when I needed to perform to win the World Championship this season. And in the end, that’s what I needed to do. That’s all I needed to do. Of course, I’ll learn from everything. Like I said, moments I wish I could go back on and I feel bad for, like Montreal and things like that, I embarrassed myself. But I wish I could go back and change some things. Plenty of moments to learn from. I feel like I’m a better driver now, certainly, than I was at the beginning of the season. But everyone’s going to do it. And when I’m racing against Max, a four-time world champion, when I’m racing against Oscar, a guy who at some point in the future will probably beat me and be a world champion, I’m performing. And I’m having to perform against the best in the world. And I look forward to plenty more times like that. And I need to understand what I can do better, how can I do better, how can I perform more consistently against them and learn from them? And I feel like I did that this year, and I’ve got to do that even more next year if I want to retain what we’ve been able to achieve this year.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Laurence Edmondson – ESPN) Congratulations, Lando. Well done. Fantastic. Just on the Zandvoort thing you mentioned there. Obviously, there you were 34 points behind all of a sudden. Did that actually release some of the pressure and allow you to get more of your true performance from yourself for that period afterwards?
LN: I honestly would just want to say no. It didn’t allow me to relax. Like, when I see 34 points against a guy who’s in the same car, who’s doing an incredible job, who I know is incredibly quick, that didn’t fill me with confidence. And it wasn’t like, “I got nothing to lose now, I can just go.” I felt like I was trying to do everything I could before, and I continued to try and do everything I could after. But I just had to step up what I was doing away from the track. Like I said before, the people I was working with, I added more people to that group. I had to work harder both on the simulator and here at track. I had to change my approaches. I had to change my… yeah, like a lot of people do. I had to dig deep and try and understand more things quicker and in a more advanced way than I ever have before. That’s what gave me the advantage I had – not, “Oh, the pressure’s off, I can go and do what I’d like to do.” It was really the opposite. I was like, “Oh, shoot. I’m quite a long way behind against a pretty freaking fast driver, and I’ve got to step it up.” And I got to be more myself because of external factors—working with more professionals in different areas to unlock more of my ability. And I think when you saw that, I had that run of great results, which is ultimately what got me the championship in the end.
Q: (Phil Duncan – PA) Congrats, Lando, on getting the job done. You’ve often described Max this year as, you know, the best that there’s ever been, you know, almost the GOAT. What does it feel to you to be able to have actually beaten him to win the first world title? And now you’ve got that one out of the way, do you think more world championships can follow?
LN: Look. I hate ever having to try and compare myself to other people. This is all for you guys to decide whether someone’s better than someone else or not. All I try and do every weekend is the best of what I can. But then you decide he’s better than him, or he’s got a worse car and he’s doing better – write what you like, decide what you like. I certainly feel like at moments I’ve driven better than I feel like other people can. And I feel like I drove at a level I don’t think other people can match. But have I also made my mistakes? Have I made more mistakes than other people at times? Yes. Is there stuff Max could do better at times than me? Yes. Do I believe he’s unbeatable? No. But you also don’t know, do you? It’s hard to know. Like, they also struggled with the car in the mid part of the season. They’ve had an incredible second half of the season. They took advantage of the fact we had two of us fighting for a world championship. He really made the most of that and Max drove like he is a four-time world champion. And I’m very happy that I got to race against him and try to prove myself against him. Whether then you want to write whatever you want to write, against him, against me, or whatever it is, feel free. But I’m not here—honestly, like I said at the beginning—my motivation is not here to prove I’m better than someone else. That’s not what makes me happy. I’m not goping to wake up tomorrow and go, “I’m so happy because I beat Max.” I honestly, deep down, don’t care about that. I don’t care if every article is, “Do you think he’s better than me?” or “Oscar’s better,” or whatever it is. Doesn’t matter. I have no interest in that. I’ve just done what I’ve needed to do to win the world championship. That’s it. And I made my people happy. That’s all I really care about at the end of the day. I’m not going to wake up happy tomorrow because I can just go and say to myself, “I’m world champion.” It might make me smile, but it’s not gonna be the truth. It’s gonna be, “My mom’s happy. My dad’s happy. My sisters are happy. My brother’s happy. My friends are happy.” And that’s all I need in my life.
Q: (Scott Mitchell-Malm – The Race) Congratulations, Lando. You mentioned the difficulties in the first part of the year. Just wondered around sort of the first third of the season—did you start to feel like the chance was slipping away at all? And at what point did you start to change things around you? You mentioned additions and who you worked with and whatnot. Did that come later, or were you starting to do things already earlier in the season?
LN: Honestly, I can’t remember the exact time things started. Certainly levelled up a lot more through the halfway point – around Zandvoort time – but it definitely started prior to that.
It started after I had that kind of bad run in race two, three, four, five, six, that kind of area. Or certainly when it was like, “Alright, my way is not working. I’ve got to understand things differently. I’ve got to speak to more people. I’ve got to understand what I’m thinking, why I’m thinking it. Why am I doing this? Why am I getting tense in qualifying? Why am I making the decisions that I’m making?” Whatever it may be. Certainly, the bad run of results and lack of performance—not speed, because I think the speed’s always there—but lack of putting things together when I had the capability of putting things together, allowed or opened up the doors to go and understand: “Okay, I need to do more than just try again next weekend. I need to try and understand things on a deeper level.” Mentally. That opened up understanding myself more, understanding things more at a championship level. That’s the level I’ve got to be at. They are world champions. And yes, certainly the struggles turned into strength. So I would say, if I didn’t have those struggles at the beginning and then had the weakness at the end, would I have caught on to those things as quickly? Probably not. So I was thankful that I had some of the tough moments early on and managed to turn them around. When I got in that kind of good rhythm in the last three months, almost when there’s been more pressure than ever, was almost when I felt most comfortable and most confident into qualifying, you know, I could go from chatting to my engineers and having a fun time with my mechanics to going out and getting pole a few minutes later. So, yeah, the struggle was at the beginning really allowed me to unlock my potential later on.
Q: (Molly Hudson – The Times) Huge congratulations, Lando. How proud are you not just of in the car, but outside of the car you’ve stayed the same Lando, you’ve still been critical on yourself, you’ve still worn your heart on your sleeve. There’s been a lot of people that have written or said, “you can’t win a championship like that,” and you have.
LN: Thank you. End of. Look, again, that’s one of the things that makes me most proud. I feel like I have just managed to win it the way I wanted to win it, which was not by being someone I’m not. Not trying to be as aggressive as Max or as forceful as other champions might have been in the past – whatever it may be. I’m happy. I just won it my way. I’m happy I could go out and be myself and win it Lando’s way, as Andrea would tell me. That certainly makes me happy. Like I said at the beginning, could I have gone out and been more of that person you probably want me to be at times? I could have done. I would have been less proud about it in some ways. So, that’s why I’m very happy with myself. I kept my cool, I kept to myself, I kept the focus on myself, and I got the most out of how I am. And I know at times I say some stupid things, and I say some things about Max, or I might have said some things at times in the past that everyone talks about, about Lewis. Some things I regret and I wish I could take back and never have come out my mouth. But I honestly believe I give more respect to anyone else than anyone else. I give more respect to Oscar. I give more respect to Max. I try and give as much respect as I can to Lewis—he’s seven-time world champion. He’s the best driver—you compare him to Schumacher—the best driver that’s ever been in Formula 1. I’m not even close to that. I might never be. I dream of those kind of things. I dreamed of today, and I’ve managed to achieve one of seven, comparing to him. And do I regret some of the comments I might have said in cooldown rooms or whatever it is? Yes. But a lot of those are in the heat of the moment. And by the time I’ve said it, I’ve gone, “Why the hell did I just say that?” So, I try and be as genuine as I can. I try and always speak the truth. I never try and give you guys false understandings of things. If I think we’re going to win, I’m going say, “I think we’re gonna win.” If I think Red Bull are going be fast or probably going to be fast, I’m going to say it. I’m trying to honestly always—I have no gain by trying to hide things from you guys. And, you know, deep down, do I really hate when you write crap about me? I do. It’s also life, and I’ve learned to live with some of those things more. And I also value that everyone has their own opinions—whether they like me or not or think someone else is better or not—like we just spoke about. What I’m happy is that I did things my way this season. I won it in my way, my style of just trying to be a good person and a good team member. And I’m proud about that. No matter what other people want to write about and say about it, no one really knows the truth apart from the people on the inside, in terms of what’s going on.
And I don’t need to listen to those things. So, as long as I know I’ve done a good job, which I have now proven to myself I have, then that’s the only thing I really need to listen to. Is now myself and my team. And that’s all I need.
Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Lando, massive congratulations. In the race itself, how stressful were those moments? Obviously, quite a few, bits of traffic, you had to fight your way through and things like that. What’s your plan to celebrate tonight? Is it just Monster in that glass or anything stronger?
LN: Hell no! It’s way more! This might be my only time—I really hope it’s not, and I am confident it’s not going be my only time of sitting here alone. It’s quite lonely here. No one else sat by my side.
But I want to enjoy this moment because not many people ever will get to experience what I’ve managed to experience today. The effect, the feeling it’s had on other people, that makes me so happy. So I’m going to celebrate. Well. My friends, I really hope they’ve all had many drinks already because I want to go and party with them, because this is more about them than it is about me.
My mechanics, my engineers, I mean, crap, we got a test on Tuesday morning, but yeah. I know certainly moments through the race today where I was like, “Okay, Tsunoda’s up next.” And we knew from before that Tsunoda might try and do it—try and hold me up and make my life difficult like Perez did to Lewis just a few seasons ago. So a lot of that was in our script and estimations already. But I managed to get through pretty quickly. And it was a bit close. It got pretty close. And it’s crazy thinking about it, because they do think about it straight away. You’re like, “Damn, if that was five centimetres closer—it’s over.” And that’s when you get to the end of the race—three laps to go, four laps to go—I stopped taking any kerbs because I’m like, if that just makes one piece of the car undo itself, it’s over. That kind of thing. So, I’m like, “Should I go for fastest lap on the last lap? Maybe.” It’s not worth it. A lot of those things go through your head. I had to make some fairly decisive overtakes and commit to a few things. But again, the championship was not won today. It was won by my consistency this year, by my great races over the last four months or so. It could have been an easier race. It also could have been a harder race. But sometimes, yeah—it was just another race on the calendar for me. It was a fun race, but I tried to really treat it as, “Okay, it’s just another race today,” like I said, and tried to stay calm through it, which I feel like I did, and tried to just maximise my result.