New Delhi, Dec. 10 -- There's a lot that goes into winning an F1 title - the right car, the right team, the largesse of the stewards and the weather gods, skill, talent, tenacity, and some luck. In his seventh F1 season, Lando Norris had the rub of the green and displayed enough pace at other times to become the 35th driver to clinch the title in F1's 75-year history. He also became the first FIA Formula 2 graduate to take the Formula 1 crown. The tense and emotional season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was dominated by strategy and tactics but that was pretty much the theme of the season. For much of the year the calm and collected Oscar Piastri, Norris' McLaren teammate, appeared to hold the upper hand and three wins in Bahrain, Jeddah and Miami put him in pole position. Norris was at his lowest point but from there, he found a way back. That itself is as worth of praise as his driving flair. But Norris himself is proudest of his refusal to conform to traditional expectations of elite sportsmen. "That's one of the things that makes me most proud," the British driver said. "I feel like I have just managed to win it the way I wanted to win it, which was not by being someone I'm not. Not trying to be as aggressive as Max (Verstappen) or as forceful as other champions might have been in the past - whatever it may be. "I just won it my way. I'm happy I could go out and be myself and win it Lando's way, as (McLaren team principal) Andrea (Stella) would tell me. That certainly makes me happy. "Could I have gone out and been more of that person you probably want me to be at times? I could have done (that). I would have been less proud about it in some ways." "So, that's why I'm very happy with myself. I kept my cool, I kept to myself, I kept the focus on myself, and I got the most out of how I am." His self-effacing style won him many fans but could he do it again next season? Getting to the top is a challenge no doubt but staying there is far, far tougher. That is true at most times but even more so for 2026 with a huge change of regulations coming next season. When Norris was asked about it, he chose to shift the focus on to Piastri, describing the Australian as "a guy who at some point in the future will probably beat me and be a world champion." That said, F1 has seen champions go on winning runs. Michael Schumacher won seven titles, Lewis Hamilton did the same. For a few years, Sebastian Vettel was unbeatable, as was Max Verstappen. So, the first title can prove to be the precursor to greater things for the 26-year-old. Much of that was down to the driver but the car played a huge role as well. Get the right package and keep improving it. But the new regulations will mean that everyone starts off from scratch. The challenge, in that sense, will be greater for all teams but greatest for the reigning champions. "This might be my only time - I really hope it's not," Norris said. "And I am confident it's not going be my only time of sitting here alone. "But I want to enjoy this moment because not many people ever will get to experience what I've managed to experience today." Perhaps that is what makes Norris special. He's more than ready to enjoy today, so that when tomorrow comes, he's up for it. Either way, if the next season is anything like this one, F1 is going to find a whole new set of fans....