The Formula 1 World Champion of the 2025 Season

Author: Madison Fairweather

Twenty-six year old Formula one driver Lando Norris once asked the Mclaren team, “Are the fireworks for me?”. Team manager Zach Brown responded with, “They can be.”. At the time Lando Norris had finished 4th in the 2021 Abu Dhabi grand prix, his highest career finish since making his formula one debut in 2019. Three years later Norris took home the World Constructors Championship for the Mclaren team. And now, four years later Lando Norris has won the World Drivers Championship and the fireworks are most certainly for him.  

The 2025 season opened on March 16th in Australia with a win for Lando Norris at his teammate Oscar Piastri’s home race. But after the early victory, Norris wouldn’t win again until Monaco on May 25th-a turning point that reignited his confidence after a public struggle with mental health. With both McLaren drivers now in title contention by mid-season, questions arose about how the team would manage their pairing while still chasing the Constructors’ Championship.

In a moment that surprised few, on June 15th the McLarens collided on lap 67 of the Canadian Grand Prix. In the aftermath, Norris bounced back with wins in Austria on June 29th and at Silverstone on July 6th, where he stood on the top step for his first home victory-the roar of the landostands becoming a fuel he carried into the rest of the season. As momentum built, a Piastri win in Belgium and another for Norris in Hungary placed the pair first and second heading into the summer break.

However, disaster struck during the Dutch Grand Prix when Norris reported smoke in the cockpit and was forced to retire, sitting alone on the dunes in the circuit's interior as the race continued around him. His championship hopes seemed to crumble further as his rivals dominated the next five races, widening the gap until Baku, where Piastri crashed at turn one, giving Norris a renewed chance as he capitalized with wins in Mexico and Brazil, reclaiming the lead by 24 points heading into the final stretch.

As the Qatar race weekend commenced, with both a sprint and a Grand Prix, it was clear that a single win would make Lando Norris world champion. Early in the Grand Prix, the safety car was deployed, and every team except McLaren pitted under the red flag, a strategic choice that would ultimately decide the race for the two McLaren drivers. Four-time champion Max Verstappen surged into the lead, followed by Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz, Kimi Antonelli, putting Lando Norris in fifth. It was in the final laps, Norris executed a smooth overtake on the young rookie to secure fourth place, ensuring that the title fight would continue into Abu Dhabi where only a podium finish would be needed for him to claim the championship.

With Abu Dhabi subsequent the weekend, fans wondered whether McLaren would issue team orders-if it came down to it-for Piastri to drop behind Norris to secure the title; however, neither driver commented on the possibility. Norris lined up second on the grid for the championship-deciding race between his rivals: four-time champion Max Verstappen in first and teammate Oscar Piastri in third. When the lights went out, Piastri made a bold move around the outside into turn one, forcing Norris onto the defensive against Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda.

After fifty-eight laps around the Yas Marina Circuit, Norris dealt with the pressure from both cars and charged across the line in third, securing the title over Verstappen and Piastri. He not only fought off the physical challenge of the Ferraris and Red Bulls behind him, but also steadied the nerves, excitement, and rising anticipation as the outcome of the race grew clear. And as he passed under the bridge on the final lap, the emotion and reality of a childhood dream finally coming true washed over him, echoing through the hearts of every papaya supporter and bringing the 2025 season to a close.