McLaren were the obvious choice for team of the year but Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari were a big disappointment while Williams exceeded expectations
Lando Norris had gone into the season as favourite and he emerged on top after a gruelling contest. Securing his maiden world drivers’ title was no easy feat given how hard he had been pushed by his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Closing it out was testament to a driver who maintained his nerve and confidence even as at times it seemed the title had slipped from his reach.
The three title protagonists all had impressive seasons. Piastri, who had been so strong with a series of excellent wins, was let down by his drop in form in the final third, when he was found wanting on the circuits with low grip and made several errors that proved costly. His touch deserted him in the crucial period.
Verstappen’s charge from 104 points behind at the Dutch GP in August to 10 points back in Abu Dhabi was a remarkable feat and worthy of recognition as one of the best and most determined of his career. Even though he did not win the title it demonstrated once more that he can simply never be written off.
Yet for all their efforts it was Norris who earned the plaudits after rallying from 34 points behind Piastri post Zandvoort, where he sat with his head in hands by the side of the track after his car gave out with a mechanical failure. He trusted in his abilities and returned some superb drives to claw his way back into the lead. Though McLaren wobbled in Las Vegas and Qatar, Norris kept his cool in Abu Dhabi. The first title is always the hardest and this was hard fought indeed.
