The McLaren star secured his first-ever world title after a nail-biting finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Lando Norris has declared his intention to step away from the spotlight and embrace ordinary life following his remarkable Formula 1 World Championship triumph.

The McLaren driver, now the 11th Briton among just 35 men to claim the prestigious title, celebrated through Sunday night and into Monday morning in Abu Dhabi before reflecting on his achievement.

Speaking to BBC Sport at a hotel on Yas Island, mere moments from the circuit where he sealed his glory, Norris appeared relaxed and in good spirits.

“Honestly, try to forget this season, try to forget a little bit what we’ve been able to achieve together. Forget that I drive in Formula 1,” he said.

“I don’t want to forget what we’ve achieved this season, but just try to live a normal few days of the year, and go play some golf and do some normal things and that’s it.”

The 26-year-old has little time to rest before his schedule resumes in earnest.

Lando Norris has admitted he plans on stepping away from the limelight for a while

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Norris will head to the McLaren factory for a thorough review of the season just concluded, alongside simulator work as preparations for next year’s campaign begin immediately.

Friday brings the official championship trophy presentation at a prizegiving ceremony in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Lando Norris has ‘achieved his dream’ of becoming F1 world champion

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The celebrations will continue on home soil, with the McLaren Christmas party taking place in London on Saturday evening.

Only then will the new champion permit himself to truly unwind.

The magnitude of his accomplishment is still sinking in for the young Briton, who admits the experience remains “very surreal”.

“When someone says, ‘Congrats, world champ’ or something, it’s definitely got a very different ring to it,” Norris explained.

“I don’t know. It’s such a sizeable achievement.”

Lando Norris secured his maiden Formula One world championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday | REUTERSAwaiting Norris at his hotel were his father Adam and mother Cisca, whose presence underscored the profound family sacrifices that accompanied his journey to the pinnacle of motorsport.

The champion began his racing career at just seven or eight years old, with his father accompanying him to events across the globe whilst his mother remained at home caring for his sisters.

“I see my mum 20 days a year maybe, something like that. Which is not a lot,” Norris revealed.

Yet Sunday’s triumph rendered those years of separation worthwhile.

“Certainly winning and having the achievement we did yesterday made everything feel more worth it, all those times away,” he reflected.

“One thing that everyone wants to do, is make their parents proud. So the fact I got to do that yesterday, I hope make them even more proud, is the best thing you can ask for.”

The championship victory carried particular significance given Norris’s struggles earlier in the season, when teammate Oscar Piastri appeared destined for glory.

By late August’s Dutch Grand Prix, Piastri held a commanding 34-point advantage and had secured four race wins to Norris’s two.

“When Oscar was doing a better job than me and I wasn’t doing a great job, I was like, ‘Well, you know, maybe they’re just a bit better,’” Norris admitted.

“I just never thought at times that it was possible. So for me to then do that for myself, to kind of go, ‘You’re wrong, you can do it,’ is a pretty incredible feeling to have for yourself.”

The champion acknowledged that overcoming his own doubts proved transformative, fundamentally altering his approach and mentality throughout the campaign.