Lando Norris felt 'overwhelming relief' after escaping Max Verstappen 'nightmares' to win title

Lando Norris's overriding emotion after clinching his first Formula 1 world championship in Abu Dhabi was one of "overwhelming relief," according to 1996 champion Damon Hill, who suggested the McLaren driver had been having "nightmares about Max Verstappen" during the intense title fight.

Why it matters:

Norris's triumph caps a season of remarkable resilience, having fought back from a significant points deficit to his own teammate mid-season before withstanding a furious late charge from the sport's most dominant recent champion. His ability to handle that sustained pressure and close out the title speaks to a significant mental and performance breakthrough for the British driver.

The details:

• Despite starting the season with a win in Australia, Norris found himself trailing teammate Oscar Piastri by 34 points after the Dutch Grand Prix in August, following a rare technical failure.
• Norris managed to turn his season around, mounting a comeback against Piastri before facing his final and greatest challenge: a relentless pursuit from Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the closing races.
• Hill pointed to the disqualification of both McLaren drivers from the Las Vegas Grand Prix for a skid plate infringement as a critical, high-pressure moment where Norris lost 25 crucial points.
• The 1996 champion credited Norris for digging deep, finding something within himself, and dealing with the pressure "brilliantly" in the Abu Dhabi finale to secure the title by just two points over Verstappen.

The big picture:

Hill's analysis highlights the psychological toll of a season-long championship battle, especially one involving a teammate rivalry and a legendary competitor like Verstappen. Norris's victory, aided by what he acknowledged was an extended support network this year, represents not just a sporting achievement but a mental conquest. It marks the culmination of a journey where he had to overcome internal team dynamics and external titanic pressure to finally claim the crown that had seemed within his grasp at the season's start.