McLaren driver Lando Norris clinches his first F1 title at season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

McLaren driver Lando Norris held his nerve but could not hold back the tears after clinching his first Formula 1 title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

Red Bull driver and defending champion Max Verstappen won the race with Norris placing third behind his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in second, which allowed Norris to finish two points ahead of Verstappen in the season-long standings.

“It's incredible. It is pretty surreal. I've dreamed of this for a long, long time,” said the 26-year-old Norris, who started his F1 career as a test and reserve driver with McLaren. "I feel like I did my part for the team this year and I'm very proud of myself for that. I’m even more proud for everyone who I hopefully made cry.”

Norris became Britain's 11th F1 champion, a racing journey that began with kart racing when he was eight years old. The first of his 11 F1 race wins came last year, when he finished second overall in the standings.

Piastri was also in contention for his first F1 title and finished third in the standings, 13 points behind Norris, who ended the season with seven wins and 423 points.

Norris became the first British champion since Lewis Hamilton won his record-equaling seventh title in 2020, and also denied Verstappen a fifth straight title.

“Oh God. I’ve not cried in a while. It’s a long journey. First of all, I want to say a big thanks to my guys, my parents," Norris said a few minutes after the race. “I now know what Max feels like a little bit. I want to congratulate him and Oscar, too."

Norris entered the three-way battle 12 points ahead of Verstappen and 16 ahead of Piastri, who also won seven races but none since the Dutch GP on Aug. 31.

Verstappen started from pole position with Norris on the front row beside him and Piastri third on the grid. The Dutchman needed Norris to be fourth or lower and Norris had to finish outside the top five if Piastri won.

Verstappen's astounding late-season charge came close to unseating both McLaren drivers after they had shared the lead throughout the season and then were undone by driver and team-strategy errors.

Verstappen’s title chances were dramatically improved with two races to go after Norris and Piastri were disqualified in Las Vegas.

But even Verstappen's season-leading eighth win and 71st of his career could not stop Norris, who kept his composure on Sunday, having been under severe pressure in recent weeks.

“Oscar and Lando have been awesome all year,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown told broadcaster Sky. “This Max guy is pretty hard to beat.”

The McLaren motorhome erupted with joy when Norris clinched it and Brown congratulated Norris on the team radio in his usual jovial manner.

“Lando, this is Zak from McLaren. Is this the world champion hotline? You did it! You did it! Awesome," Brown said.

Norris didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He did both.

“Oh my God, thanks so much. I love you guys. Thanks for everything,” Norris said and then broke down in tears.

After crossing the line, Norris stayed in his car for a few moments, visibly emotional. His parents were on the side of the track and he went over to hug them before celebrating with his McLaren engineers and mechanics.

Piastri was looking to become the first Australian champion since Alan Jones in 1980, but his failure to win a race after Zandvoort cost him.

“When things have been good this year, I've felt unstoppable,” Piastri said. “Ultimately, I've learnt a lot about myself. I think that will only help me going forward.”

Norris praised Piastri, saying “at some point he will get the better of me, as he is an incredible driver.”

Pole position was crucial on the 58-lap circuit in Abu Dhabi, where overtaking is hard, and so it proved again as Verstappen joined the long list of race winners from pole since 2015.

Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari ahead of George Russell (Mercedes) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) in sixth.

Verstappen made a clean start with Piastri overtaking Norris, while the slick Leclerc was soon behind Norris.

Norris changed tires on Lap 17 but was caught behind some traffic and had Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda ahead of him in third spot, which in turn allowed Leclerc to close on Norris.

Norris overtook Tsunoda on Lap 23 but went very wide and off track limits. Race stewards gave Tsunoda a 5-second time penalty for zig-zagging in front of Norris, who was cleared.

Tsunoda reacted angrily when informed he had moved more than once in front of Norris when defending his position.

Norris pitted again on Lap 41, with Verstappen overtaking Piastri moments later to take the lead. Piastri came in a lap later but Norris still held the cards because both McLarens had covered an eventual second tire change for Verstappen.

The main threat for Norris was Leclerc and he was about 4 seconds behind him with 10 laps left.

“Is Charles catching him or not?” Verstappen asked his race engineer.

Leclerc couldn't get closer, meaning Norris could coast to the title.

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Race winner Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, center, poses on the podium with second placed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, left, and third placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain after the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain smiles after becoming a world champion after the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates after becoming a world champion after the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain reacts after becoming a world champion after the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain reacts after becoming a world champion after the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia steers his car during the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain crosses the finish line to become the wprld champion during the Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Andrej Isakovic, Pool via AP)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain crosses the finish line to become the world champion during the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrates after becomin a rold champion after the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car followed by McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain during the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car followed by McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain during the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, left, and McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, center, and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands attend the drivers parade ahead of the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia watches his team mate Lando Norris of Britain speak to media before the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, left, and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands talk before the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced questioning from lawmakers Wednesday for the first time since the Trump administration went to war with Iran, a decision that Democrats say has led to a costly conflict of choice waged without congressional approval.

The hearing before the House Armed Services Committee was being held to discuss the administration's 2027 military budget proposal, which would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion. Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, are expected to stress the need for more drones, missile defense systems and warships.

Democrats are likely to pivot quickly to the ballooning costs of the war, the huge drawdown of critical U.S. munitions and the bombing of a school that killed children. Some lawmakers may also question Trump's dealings with allies and how prepared the military was to shoot down swarms of Iranian drones, some of which penetrated U.S. defenses and killed or wounded American troops.

“You can win a whole lot of little small battles and lose the war, which is why you don’t stumble into the war in the first place," said Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the committee. "As I look at it, the strategy seems to be to use as much violence, as much threats, as much coercion as possible to bend the world to our will. I think that is a very dangerous strategy.”

While a fragile ceasefire is now in place, the U.S. and Israel launched the war Feb. 28 without congressional oversight. House and Senate Democrats have failed to pass multiple war power resolutions that would have required President Donald Trump to halt the conflict until Congress authorizes further action.

Republicans have said they will keep faith in Trump’s wartime leadership, for now, citing Iran’s nuclear program, the potential for talks to resume and the high stakes of withdrawal. Still, GOP lawmakers are eager for the conflict to end, and some are eyeing future votes that could become an important test for the president if the war drags on.

Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, opened Wednesday's hearing by focusing on Trump's call to increase military spending. He pointed to recent increases in defense spending by China, Russia and Iran.

“We don’t have enough munitions, ships, aircraft or autonomous systems to ensure dominance against every adversary," Rogers said. “They are spending more of their GDP on defense than we are.”

Iran's closing of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor for the world's oil, has sent fuel prices skyrocketing and posed problems for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. The U.S. has responded with a Navy blockade of Iranian shipping and further built up its military forces in the region. Three American aircraft carriers are in the Middle East for the first time in more than 20 years.

The countries appear locked in a stalemate, with Trump unlikely to accept Tehran's latest offer to reopen the strait if the U.S. ends the war, lifts its sea blockade and postpones nuclear talks.

Hegseth has avoided public questioning from lawmakers about the war, although he and Caine have held televised Pentagon briefings. Hegseth has mostly taken questions from conservative journalists, while citing Bible passages to castigate mainstream outlets.

The defense secretary will face a much different dynamic Wednesday as well as on Thursday, when he and Caine also are set to face the Senate Armed Services Committee. Lawmakers' questions are likely to go beyond the budget and even the war to Hegseth's ousting of top military leaders.

Besides Navy Secretary John Phelan's departure last week, Hegseth recently ousted the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, as well as several other top generals, admirals and defense leaders.

“Tell us why. You know these are important positions. We are in a war posture with Iran,” said North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican.

Tillis, who was a crucial vote to confirming the defense secretary, added that Hegseth’s management of the Pentagon had caused him to have second thoughts on his support.

“He may be able to clean it up, but on its face, you don’t go through the number of highly reputable, senior-level officials, admirals and generals,” Tillis added.

Rep. Austin Scott, a Georgia Republican, condemned George's termination during a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week, saying that “some of us are not through asking the questions about that.”

“I think the firing of Gen. George was an extreme disservice to the United States Army,” Scott said. “And I think it was reckless conduct.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon, Thursday, April 16, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)