On December 7, McLaren driver Lando Norris crossed the finish line at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Norris finished in third place and won the drivers’ championship after beating the runner-up, Max Verstappen, by two points.

Despite winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and having eight wins throughout the season, Verstappen could not overcome the 12-point gap that stood between him and Norris before the race started.

At the time of the Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen was third in the drivers’ standings and was 104 points behind first place. He proceeded to win five of the final eight races, securing a podium finish in each. This performance resulted in him reducing the gap from 104 to 2 points in just eight races—an almost impossible feat.

Over the course of these races, Norris took the lead in the drivers’ championship, overtaking his teammate Oscar Piastri.

Right before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Norris, Verstappen and Piastri each had a chance to win the drivers’ championship.

For Verstappen to win the championship, Norris had to finish fourth or lower, while Verstappen had to win the race.

With a solid qualifying performance, Norris found himself in third place, while Verstappen was in pole position.

Despite being 24 points behind the leader at the time, Piastri had a slim chance to win the championship if both Norris and Verstappen retired from the race, allowing him to win.

A great race from all drivers led to Norris finishing in one of the required positions that secured his first career championship.