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Damon Hill has been joined by an 11th British Formula 1 champion as Lando Norris clinched the title on the final day of the season in Abu Dhabi.

Lando Norris knew that all he needed was to finish on the podium to win McLaren’s first drivers’ championship since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

After starting on the front row, Norris fell back to third after a sensational move from Oscar Piastri around the outside of turn nine on the opening lap.

Oscar Piastri’s BOLD move on Lando Norris to take P2

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Despite some early pressure from Charles Leclerc and a controversial move on Yuki Tsunoda after his first pit stop, which saw him go completely off the track to overtake the Red Bull driver, Norris made finishing P3 under the most stressful of circumstances look relatively straightforward.

Piastri was quick to congratulate Norris after his championship victory, and it was revealed after the race that Lewis Hamilton offered Norris some advice on how to deal with such a high-pressure weekend.

Norris had to do an incredible number of interviews after clinching the title, and one quote in particular stood out to Damon Hill following the race.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

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Lando Norris admits he ‘might never’ get close to Lewis Hamilton or Michael Schumacher’s level

Norris spoke to the media during his official press conference alongside Verstappen and Piastri, and made an interesting point about his driving ability.

He said: “I know at times I say some stupid things, and I say some things about Max, or I might have said some things at times in the past that everyone talks about, about Lewis.

“Some things I regret, and I wish I could take back and never have [them] come out of my mouth.

“But I honestly believe I give more respect to anyone else than anyone else. I give more respect to Oscar [Piastri]. I give more respect to Max.

“I try and give as much respect as I can to Lewis – he’s a seven-time world champion. He’s the best driver; you compare him to [Michael] Schumacher, the best driver that’s ever been in Formula 1.

“I’m not even close to that. I might never be. I dream of those kinds of things. I dreamed of today, and I’ve managed to achieve one of seven, compared to him.

“Do I regret some of the comments I might have said in cool-down rooms or whatever it is?

“Yes. But a lot of those are in the heat of the moment, and by the time I’ve said it, I’ve gone, ‘Why the hell did I just say that?’ So, I try and be as genuine as I can.”

Reacting to Norris’ comments on Instagram, Hill simply said: “Gotta love this guy!” highlighting how popular his humility is within the paddock.

READ MORE: All you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

What type of Formula 1 champion will Lando Norris be after 2025 title win?

Norris’ admission is interesting and raises questions about which category of world champion he’ll fit into for the rest of his career.

There’s no suggestion that he’s going to retire as Nico Rosberg did after his only title win, but there are parallels that can be drawn to Jenson Button.

Button won his only title in 2009 with Brawn GP before a rule change and a move to McLaren, which ended any hopes of retaining his crown.

Where does Lando Norris rank among Britain’s Formula 1 world champions?

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Norris faces a similar situation, and while he won’t be swapping teams, McLaren can’t simply perfect an MCL39 that scored more than 800 points in 2025.

The likes of Hill, Kimi Raikkonen and Jacques Villeneuve never retained their championships, and Norris will have his work cut out next year to do the same.

But, whatever happens in the future, Norris can walk away from Formula 1 one day knowing he achieved his ultimate goal.