Lando Norris makes 'happy' Max Verstappen claim: 'I honestly don't care about that'

Lando Norris is adamant that beating Max Verstappen to the F1 drivers' championship is not a newfound source of happiness for him, but rather that his title will bring joy to those around him. 

The McLaren driver insists he does not care about triumphing over the Dutchman by two points to claim his maiden crown, which dethroned the four-time champion in the process.

Norris secured the third-place finish he needed to take the title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which Verstappen won, but maintains he is not concerned with conversations centred on who is a "better" driver than him after that success.

That stance extends to Oscar Piastri, too, after the McLaren team-mates spent the entire campaign embroiled in a close intra-squad battle for supremacy. In the end, the Briton prevailed by 13 points.

There has been much said about who was most worthy of the title or who had the best season. But, in the end, the F1 history books will show Norris as champion either way.

After clinching his championship at the Yas Marina Circuit, the 26-year-old told media, including RacingNews365: "My motivation is not here to prove I’m better than someone else.

"That’s not what makes me happy. I’m not going to wake up tomorrow and go, 'I’m so happy because I beat Max.'

"I honestly, deep down, don’t care about that. I don’t care if every article is: 'Do you think he’s better than me?' or 'Oscar’s better', or whatever it is. Doesn’t matter. I have no interest in that."

Expanding on what will make him happy, the 11-time grand prix winner underlined the impact it will have on those closest to him, who have been alongside him on his journey to becoming an F1 drivers' champion.

"I’ve just done what I needed to do to win the world championship. That’s it," he explained. "And I made my people happy. That’s all I really care about at the end of the day.

"I’m not going to wake up happy because I can just go and say to myself: 'I’m world champion'.

"It might make me smile, but it’s not gonna be the truth. It’s gonna be: 'My mom’s happy. My dad’s happy. My sisters are happy. My brother’s happy. My friends are happy'. And that’s all I need in my life."