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F1 CHAMPION: EMOTIONAL LANDO NORRIS THANKS FAMILY AND MCLAREN AFTER REALIZING 17-YEAR DREAM

The tearful new champion thanked his family and McLaren, joking he "looks like a loser" but celebrating a historic triumph over rivals Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.

F1 CHAMPION: Emotional Lando Norris thanks family and McLaren after realizing 17-year dream
Emotional Lando Norris Seals F1 Title in Abu Dhabi

Lando Norris couldn't hold back the tears after winning his first F1 World Championship. In his first interview, he joked that he looked like a loser.

The 26-year-old Brit's podium finish at the Abu Dhabi season finale was enough to secure the title. He beat race winner Max Verstappen and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who finished second.

Norris was very emotional as he thanked his team, family, and friends for their support throughout the season and his whole career.

After his win was confirmed, Norris said on the team radio, "Thank you guys... oh my God."

You made my dreams come true; thank you so much. I love you guys for everything. You deserve it. I love you, Mum. I love you, Dad. Thanks for everything. And now I'm crying!

In his first interview after the race, Norris said, "I've not cried in a while!" I didn't think I would cry, but I did.

It's been a long time coming. First, I want to thank my guys, everyone at McLaren, and my parents. They're the ones who have supported me since the beginning.

It feels amazing. Now I kind of know how Max feels! Congrats to Max and Oscar, my biggest rivals this whole season.

It's been great racing against them. It's an honour, and I've learned a lot. I've enjoyed it. It's been a long year. We did it, and I'm so proud of everyone.

Norris, a bit embarrassed, said he looked like a loser since he couldn't control his emotions after such a big win.

The new world champion added, "It's not just this year or the seven or eight years I've been with McLaren, but the last 16 or 17 years of my life trying to make this happen," said a tearful Lando Norris.

We all did it today, so I'm pretty happy. My best racing this year was when I needed it most. When I was struggling, I raced my best and showed what I can do.

I got the gap. I needed to do what I had to today. I'm proud. My whole family is here, my girlfriend, lots of people. I wouldn't want to embarrass them on a day like today.

My mom and dad let me chase this dream, and today I got to share it with them.

THE 2026 ULTIMATUM: WHY NEXT SEASON IS "MAKE OR BREAK" FOR LEWIS HAMILTON

After a winless 2025 debut, Lewis Hamilton faces a pivotal year. See why Steiner believes the 7x champ is nearing the F1 exit.

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Hamilton’s exit clock is ticking

Guenther Steiner, who used to run the Haas team, thinks Lewis Hamilton might quit Formula 1 if Ferrari can't get to the top of the Driver's Championship by 2026—he thinks that season will be super important for the racing star.

Hamilton had a tough first year with Ferrari, ending up sixth in the F1 rankings with 156 points.

That was 86 points behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc, and he didn't even get on the podium once, which is a first for him in a full season.

He often said he was bummed out about how his Ferrari debut was going.

Back in November, after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, he told Sky Sports, I feel awful. This has been the worst season ever, and it just keeps getting worse no matter how hard I try. I'm trying everything I can, both in and out of the car.

Hamilton looked pretty sad a lot during the season because he couldn't really fight for race wins.

Steiner told Sports Krone, I think if Ferrari has a good car next season, Hamilton might be able to turn things around. If they are more competitive, Lewis might find his drive again. But if things stay the same, next season will probably be his last in Formula 1. He's not going to go through that again. The situation is tough for him, and you could see that in every interview. So, the next season will be key for him.

What's Hamilton saying about quitting?

When the media asks Hamilton about his F1 future, he doesn't want to talk about retiring.

At the end of the season, when someone asked him what he would say to those who think he might retire soon, the 40-year-old said, I wouldn't say anything to them. None of them have done what I've done, so they don't know anything more than I do.

Last summer, after some rumors that he might leave early, Hamilton said he's staying at Ferrari until his contract is up.

He said, For those writing stories about me thinking about not racing, I've just started here with Ferrari. I've been here for a few years, and I'm in it for the long run, so there's no question about what I'm focused on achieving with this team. There are zero doubts, so please stop making stuff up.

In 2026, everyone will still be wondering about Hamilton's future in F1, mainly if Ferrari keeps struggling with the new rules. And if Steiner is right, another year of not competing for a championship could be the end for him.

MAX VERSTAPPEN NAMED PEER-VOTED DRIVER OF THE YEAR FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON

Max Verstappen wins his 5th straight F1 peer award, beating champion Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton drops out of the top 10 for the first time.

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Verstappen Wins Fifth Straight Peer Award

Max Verstappen copped his fifth straight driver-of-the-year award in Formula 1's secret peer vote, even though he almost grabbed a fifth title in 2025 but didn't quite make it.

The drivers all voted in secret, except for four guys. The Red Bull driver beat out Lando Norris, who just won the world championship, for the number one spot.

The voting worked like the normal F1 points system. Drivers ranked their top 10 rivals. Verstappen got 25 points from six votes to win.

Norris, who won his first championship after a crazy season, came in second in the driver rankings for the second year running.

The McLaren driver won the title after fighting off pressure from Verstappen and his teammate, Oscar Piastri, all season long.

George Russell took third, moving up one spot from last year. The Mercedes driver had a killer season with two wins and seven more podiums.

Piastri was fourth, up one spot, even though his championship hopes fizzled out near the end. The Aussie was leading by 34 points at one point before his performance dropped off.

Charles Leclerc finished fifth, down two spots, even though he got everything he could out of Ferrari's SF-25. The Monegasque driver had seven podiums during a tough season that saw Ferrari finish fourth.

Carlos Sainz held onto sixth after a great comeback at Williams. After a rough start, the Spaniard grabbed two podiums in a strong second half of the season.

Fernando Alonso jumped two spots to seventh, and the two-time world champion had some crazy drives in Aston Martin's AMR25.

Alex Albon took eighth after his best season with Williams, while rookies Oliver Bearman and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10, getting props for their awesome first seasons.

Pierre Gasly almost made the list, even with 10 Q3 appearances in Alpine's tricky A525.

Lewis Hamilton, who's won seven world championships, didn't show up in the rankings, which is a first since they started doing this poll. It shows how rough his first season at Ferrari was.

The four drivers who skipped the vote were Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll, and Yuki Tsunoda.

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