Lando Norris Admits Regret Over Lewis Hamilton Comments After Emotional First F1 World Championship Triumph

Newly crowned Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris has issued a candid and emotional reflection on his past comments about rival Lewis Hamilton, admitting he now deeply regrets playing down the seven-time champion’s historic success earlier in his career.

Norris sealed his first-ever Drivers’ Championship in dramatic fashion at the season finale in Abu Dhabi, becoming the 11th British driver in history to claim the sport’s ultimate prize. The 26-year-old McLaren star finished third in the race—just enough to edge out race winner Max Verstappen by a narrow two-point margin in one of the closest title deciders in modern F1 history.

As the enormity of the achievement sank in, Norris was visibly overwhelmed with emotion. He fought back tears during post-race interviews, his voice trembling as he described the moment as “everything I’ve ever worked for.” Cameras captured the usually lighthearted driver openly crying as he embraced team members from McLaren, the team that placed faith in him during his teenage years.

Yet amid the celebrations, Norris chose to confront a controversial moment from his past.

Revisiting a Remark That Aged Poorly

Back in 2020, Norris sparked intense backlash after reacting to Hamilton’s record-breaking 92nd career victory—surpassing the legendary Michael Schumacher. At the time, Norris downplayed the milestone by saying:
“He’s in a car which should win every race, basically. He has to beat one or two other drivers, that’s it.”

The remark immediately triggered criticism from fans, pundits, and former drivers, many of whom accused Norris of disrespecting Hamilton’s achievements and underestimating the pressures of sustained dominance in Formula 1.

Five years on, with a world championship now of his own, Norris says his perspective has completely changed.

“I look back at some of the things I said when I was younger and I cringe,” Norris admitted after his title win. “Winning this championship now makes me understand just how hard it really is. Nothing is guaranteed in this sport. What Lewis achieved is unreal, and I shouldn’t have spoken the way I did back then.”

A Title Decided by Inches

The 2025 season—which many are already calling one of the greatest in F1 history—came down to the final laps in Abu Dhabi. Verstappen entered the race with a slender points advantage, but Norris’s measured drive to third place proved enough to swing the balance in his favor.

Verstappen took the chequered flag, but the celebrations belonged to Norris.

The pressure was relentless. Norris had to finish at least third to stay ahead in the standings—and he did exactly that, holding off late challenges and managing his tires with extraordinary composure. As he crossed the line, he screamed over team radio before breaking down in tears.

“Those last few laps were the longest of my life,” he said. “I kept thinking, ‘Don’t do anything stupid. Just bring it home.’”

Hamilton’s Reaction: Pure Class

Amid the emotion, Hamilton was among the first to publicly congratulate Norris.

Sources inside the paddock revealed that Hamilton sought Norris out after the race for a private conversation. Shortly afterward, Hamilton posted a message praising Norris’s “incredible growth, resilience, and maturity,” adding that the new champion had “earned every bit of this moment.”

It was a gesture many fans saw as symbolic—closing the loop on the controversy that once strained their relationship.

From Critics to Champion

Norris’s journey to the summit has been anything but straightforward. Often labeled “the nearly man” of Formula 1 due to multiple podiums without a win early in his career, he endured seasons of frustration, strategic errors, poor reliability, and crushing near-misses.

Critics questioned whether he had the ruthless edge needed to be champion. This season, he answered them decisively.

Four race wins, relentless consistency, and flawless race management under pressure transformed him from fan favorite into undisputed champion.

“This one feels different,” Norris said softly. “It wasn’t the fastest car every weekend. It was hard work, mistakes learned from, and never giving up.”

A New Chapter for British Motorsport

With his victory, Norris joins an elite group of British world champions that includes legends from different eras—most notably Hamilton, whose achievements redefined what dominance in Formula 1 looks like.

Now, the torch appears to be passing.

And with it, Norris says, comes perspective.

“When you’re young, you think you know everything,” he reflected. “Now I realize how much respect this sport demands—for the drivers, the engineers, everyone who came before you. Especially Lewis.”

As champagne dried on the podium and fireworks faded over Yas Marina, Formula 1 gained a new champion—one marked not just by speed, but by humility earned the hard way.