The most likely outcome of the Formula 1 season finale happened, and Lando Norris became World Champion for the first time for McLaren. However, a comeback almost happened, as Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and ended the season with 421 points... while Norris, who was third in Yas Marina, ended up with 423 points.
If Charles Leclerc had outpaced Norris for four seconds, Norris would have been fourth and Verstappen would have won his fifth World Championship. And thankfully, the season has already ended, because Verstappen had all the momentum to claim the title if the season had lasted one more week.
Many reporters have thought about the Spanish Grand Prix, where the Dutchman finished tenth and only scored one point, with Piastri and Norris at the top. In Barcelona, Verstappen had actually finished fifth, but received a penalty after a collision with George Russell, but when asked about it, Verstappen was upset with the reporter: "You forget everything else that has happened this season, the only thing you mention is Barcelona with that stupid smile.
It's part of racing, you learn in life, and the championship consists of 24 races. I've also had plenty of early Christmas presents in the second half of the season, you can ask about that too", he said (via AS).
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Max Verstappen "won't be sad" about not winning the championship
Asked if he had mixed feelings, he said that he felt good, as he was "already prepared for these kind of outcomes, because we needed a bit of luck to win". "You lose the championship by two points [and it] looks painful, but on the other hand, if you look from where we were in Zandvoort, more than 100 behind, then I think it's not too bad.", and said he was very proud of his whole team, as they could have given up.
"The turnaround has been fun, and today has been fun. We didn't win the championship, okay, that happens, that's life, and it's not something that I'll be too sad about. I mean, life goes on", Verstappen said. "I'm just very proud of the people I work with, they are my second family, and we will enjoy this moment", and added that next year will be a question mark for everyone anyway, given the new regulations that could level up the play field for every F1 team.