Norris pays tribute to Piastri after F1 world title win
Ian Chadband |
Lando Norris has offered an emotional tribute to beaten teammate Oscar Piastri after lifting the Formula One world title, admitting he wouldn’t have been the same driver without being made to dig so deep by the “incredible” Australian.
Norris ended up sobbing, celebrating his first world title despite Max Verstappen winning a tension-filled, season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of runner-up Piastri on Sunday.
The Melbourne ace smiled afterwards that he’d given “everything” as he swept past McLaren teammate Norris on the first lap with a superb overtake on the outside, but he ended up being a mere sideshow in the race that left him third in the standings overall.
But though champion Verstappen raced to a consummate victory from pole, Norris was the man left celebrating among the three title contenders, his third place enough for him to grab the title by a mere two points from the Dutch four-time champion and only 13 from Piastri.
After their epic season-long, inter-team duel, Norris admitted: “I’m glad I’ve had Oscar as teammate the last three years, because even though he’s still a lot newer to it than me, I’ve learned a lot from him, and he showed me up many times. I wouldn’t be the driver I am today without that.
“He’s made me have to dig even deeper than I ever have before, because by the season’s midpoint, he was performing better than I was, and doing a better job consistently.
“At some point, he’s going to get the better of me, because he’s an incredible driver. I’ve learned a lot, enjoyed it a lot, and, sadly, I’ve got a lot more seasons with him in the future! So I look forward to those tough moments as well.”
Norris, who’d been 34 points behind Piastri in the race at the end of August, talked of his tough moments and having to be resilient in his roller-coaster season, but, dabbing away tears after embracing his proud parents, he smiled: “Not many things in my life have made me cry – but today was one.”
Piastri tried a long opening run on hard tyres, but while the Melburnian swept daringly but safely past Norris on turn nine, he ultimately couldn’t make enough of an impression over his long 42-lap opening stint, during which he’d held the lead for 18 laps, to challenge Verstappen.
“Today, I have to be satisfied,” sighed Piastri. “We tried a bit of a gamble on strategy, tried absolutely everything to win, but ultimately didn’t have the pace.”
Norris is the 11th British winner and the first to take the title for the UK-based team since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
Norris had needed only to be in the top three at Yas Marina to take the title, but he needed to be courageous to secure that spot, with a few sweeping and nerveless overtakes in midfield after an early pit stop.
He showed bottle, in particular, to sweep past Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Yuki Tsunoda who was weaving so erratically in front of him to try to slow him that he clocked up a five-second penalty.
Norris exceeded track limits momentarily, all four tyres going beyond the white line, as he went past, but the stewards ruled rightly that Tsunoda was to blame.
“I had no idea about that,” shrugged Norris. “I don’t care. I knew what I did was fine so I had nothing to worry about.”
Verstappen didn’t resort to trying to back up the pack and hope Norris’s third place would come under threat — his only realistic chance of pulling back his 12-point deficit on the Briton — as the race proved more tension-filled than truly exciting.
But to finish just two points off a fifth crown when he had been 104 points at the end of August, represented an epic comeback. “The team has really showed they never give up. It’s been really fun,” he said.
Piastri finished 3.9 seconds ahead of Norris, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who had at times looked a danger to McLaren’s champion, fourth.
“It’s just been a fun challenge,” concluded Piastri, of his so-near-but-yet-so-far campaign.
“Obviously, at certain points, maybe it doesn’t feel fun, but it’s been a really enjoyable season for both me and Lando – and I’m saying that as the person that’s not champion.”
AAP
