YAS MARINA, Abu Dhabi -- Max Verstappen's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory was not enough to stop Lando Norris from securing his first world drivers' championship for McLaren.
The Dutchman won the race 12.5 seconds clear of title rival Oscar Piastri and 16.5 seconds clear of Norris, who entered the contest only needing a podium to win the title.
It was a tense, well-executed race by Norris, who had to fight back through the field and overcome an aggressive defensive move by Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda midway through to progress back up to the all-important third position after his first pit stop.
Norris edged Verstappen by two points in the standings and Piastri by 13, and ended Verstappen's run of four straight championships, marking the first time in 1,457 days he had not held the title.
In doing so, Norris became McLaren's first drivers' champion since 2008.
"I've not cried in a while and I didn't think I would cry but I did," Norris said after the race. "It's a long journey and first of all I want to say a big thanks to my guys, everyone at McLaren, my parents. They are the ones who have supported me since the beginning.
"I mean it feels amazing, I now know what Max [Verstappen] feels like, I want to congratulate Max and Oscar [Piastri], my two biggest competitors the whole season.
"It's been a pleasure to race against both of them and an honour, I've learned a lot from both of them as well.
"I've enjoyed it and it has been a long year but we did it and I'm so proud of everyone."
While many expected Verstappen might be forced to drastically back up the field and put the McLaren drivers under pressure from the pack behind, he did not do so, and the race lacked the drama and excitement that had accompanied its billing this week.
"Is this the world champion hotline?" McLaren CEO Zak Brown said to Norris on the radio at the finish.
"Thanks guys, I love you guys, thanks for everything," a choked-up Norris said in reply as fireworks exploded over the circuit. "I'm gonna cry!"
Most in the paddock expected the start to be key -- Mercedes driver George Russell predicted Norris would have it "done and dusted" if he got past Verstappen at the start -- but the Red Bull driver made an aggressive chop to his left to keep Norris behind when the lights went out.
Norris soon had a mirror full of teammate Piastri behind, and the Australian seized the initiative at Turn 9, swooping around the outside in a breathtaking move, one that left Norris under intense pressure for the rest of the evening's contest.
Norris spent the first 10 laps fending off Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, although the red car only looked close enough on one occasion to have made a serious move. Leclerc, perhaps mindful of the championship implications, opted against anything wild.
The pair followed each other into the pits on Lap 17, dropping them both into a pack of cars they needed to clear quickly.
Norris passed Fernando Alonso and Andrea Kimi Antonelli both in one corner, using DRS for a double overtake down the backstraight.
Norris then approached the other Red Bull of Tsunoda who, like Piastri, had started the race on the hard tire and had not yet stopped like the medium-tired cars had.
The importance of Verstappen's teammate -- set to be replaced by Isack Hadjar in 2026 -- soon became apparent as Norris approached the Red Bull car.
"Norris within DRS within one lap," came the message from Red Bull to Tsunoda. "All you can when he catches."
On Lap 17 came the key moment, with Norris closing the gap with the DRS overtaking aid.
Tsunoda moved left and then right, with Norris squeezing between his Red Bull car and the wall in a thrilling moment.
Replays suggested Norris' car had overtaken Tsunoda with one wheel over the white line on the outside, which might have been a penalty, and the incident was immediately investigated.
"Classic Red Bull s---housery," was Norris race engineer Will Joseph's verdict on the radio, suggesting he felt Tsunoda had forced the British driver off the marked portion of the racetrack.
After a tense couple of laps, the stewards confirmed they would take no further action in the matter.
Speaking to the Sky Sports F1 broadcast from the McLaren pit wall, Brown said: "I think it was clearly the right decision. That was a dangerous and unnecessary maneuver [from Tsundoa]. I'm not surprised the second car is helping out, but there's got to be a limit."
It was the last moment of note of Tsunoda's underwhelming Red Bull stint and might well be the last of his Formula 1 racing career; next year he will be the team's test and reserve driver.
Tsunoda was then handed a five-second penalty for making two moves in either direction while defending, something not allowed under F1's regulations.
The Japanese driver pitted a lap later and dropped down the order.
Eyes then turned back to the front of the pack, where Piastri led, albeit due to not stopping on the hard tire.
Leclerc stopped for a second time on Lap 40 for mediums, which forced McLaren's hand once again, with Norris coming in a lap later for another set of tires, albeit a set of hards.
Briefly it seemed as though there would be legitimate jeopardy for Norris as Leclerc chipped away at the gap on fresher tires, but the Ferrari driver's charge soon died down. By the time Norris started his final lap, the threat of losing a position had gone, allowing the British driver to take the chequered flag in the third place he had needed all along.
Away from the title fight, there was limited action.
Leclerc stayed fourth for Ferrari ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell, who spent much of the race reporting a brake issue in his car.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso finished sixth to secure seventh in the constructors' for the British team, albeit three points off Racing Bulls, who held on despite both Hadjar and Liam Lawson finishing out of the points.
Haas duo Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman finished either side of Ferrari's Hamilton Hamilton in seventh and ninth to ensure the American team stayed eighth in the championship ahead of the Sauber team.
Hamilton's miserable first season with Ferrari at least ended with a handful of points.