Lando Norris was officially crowned the 2025 F1 World Champion during the FIA awards ceremony held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The McLaren driver received the prestigious Drivers’ World Championship trophy for the first time in his Formula 1 career on Friday night.
Norris was handed the trophy by FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulayem, who was recently re-elected for a second four-year term. The 26-year-old British driver secured his maiden world title by finishing third in last Sunday’s final race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Norris won the championship by just two points ahead of Max Verstappen, ending the Red Bull driver’s four-year dominance in Formula 1. He also became the first McLaren driver to claim the world championship since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
Norris’ McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, who finished third in the championship and was 13 points shy of his first title, was also present at the event. Verstappen was absent from the ceremony due to illness.
McLaren’s team principal Andrea Stella and CEO Zac Brown accepted the team’s second consecutive constructors’ championship trophy on behalf of Woking.
Norris did not get the trophy immediately post-race in Abu Dhabi because a replica of the trophy was displayed on the grid for the final race, while the original trophy was flown to Uzbekistan. The FIA awards both silver and gold trophies during their annual ceremony, each engraved with the champion’s signature, name, and year of victory.
According to the FIA’s International Sporting Code, competitors have the right to request a review, meaning that the official awarding of trophies takes place sometime after the season concludes. The FIA awards ceremony is considered the traditional end to the motorsport season.
Fan Take: Lando Norris’ victory marks a thrilling shakeup in Formula 1, breaking Red Bull’s dominance and reigniting McLaren’s legacy in the sport. This milestone not only energizes fans but also signals a new era of competition and excitement in F1 racing.
