"Muppet" Lando Norris Given Heartwarming Praise By Ex-F1 Teammate After Title Success

Williams driver Carlos Sainz has congratulated his "muppet friend" Lando Norris on a maiden Formula 1 world drivers' championship.

Norris confirmed the feat by finishing third at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday, ultimately ending the campaign two points ahead of race winner Max Verstappen.

It was a triumph that had been eight seasons in the making for the Briton at McLaren, having made his F1 debut in 2019, alongside Sainz, at a time when the Papaya squad had been struggling for form.

But the team has enjoyed a resurgence this decade, with Norris becoming the outfit's first driver's champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.

"You don't have to be ruthless"

In the Williams post-race debrief, Sainz said: "Massive congratulations to Lando on his first drivers’ championship.

"He’s an incredible driver and he has proven that you can achieve your highest goals staying true to yourself. Congrats my muppet friend, well deserved!"

Sainz was one of the first drivers to congratulate Norris, embracing his former teammate on the start-finish straight in amongst the celebrations.

Speaking to Sky Sports UK in the aftermath, the Spaniard - who finished outside the points on Sunday - explained: "Very happy for him as a driver because he's always been an extremely quick driver, quicker than what people give him credit for, extremely talented.

"The first years at McLaren, I saw a guy who had the speed to be multiple world champion if it was purely down to speed. Along the way, he's developed his skills a lot and now he's a world champion."

Norris has been forthcoming with his mental health battles and has often been his own harshest critic, with doubters suggesting his mindset would be the biggest hurdle to him achieving a championship in F1.

Standing on the shoulders of giants 🏆#McLaren | #AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 pic.twitter.com/PPsK4QCD9Z

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) December 7, 2025

"More than anything, I'm happy for him as a person because he's a driver that doesn't follow the typical stereotypes of a world champion," Sainz added.

"He's always stayed true to himself, very honest, very open about his own struggles, and proven to everyone you can be world champion being a nice guy, that you don't have to be ruthless or badass.

"Happy for him. I hope he stays the same, that it doesn't get in his head that he's world champion and he keeps being himself, or even if he relaxes more, and can enjoy F1 more.

"He must have suffered a bit this year with all the social media pressure, journalism pressure from criticising him when he was struggling in the first half, then when Max was getting close. It's never easy to be world champion with Max breathing down his neck but he's kept it more or less under control."

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