The two turning points that shaped Norris into an F1 world champion

McLaren chief Andrea Stella believes the experience of going up against Max Verstappen and his response to his early Formula 1 2025 difficulties were key to Lando Norris' maiden championship win.

Norris prevailed over defending champion Verstappen after a tense title showdown in Abu Dhabi, with the McLaren drivers' third place enough to take his first world championship by two points.

The Briton's maiden title came one year after a brief but unsuccessful championship surge against Verstappen and followed a difficult spell in the first half of 2025 in which Norris had to overcome car handling difficulties while being outperformed by high-flying team-mate Oscar Piastri.

According to team boss Stella, those two periods helped shape Norris into the driver that triumphed in Abu Dhabi by giving him the belief that he has what it takes to fulfil his childhood dreams.

"Definitely, there was a lot that was taken away from the quest last year, even if it didn't go to the last race," Stella said when asked by Autosport what the turning point was that elevated Norris from a promising race winner into a championship calibre driver.

"There were some learning points, like Austria, it was a tough one. [But] I think Lando elevated his sense of status, like 'I can compete with Max'.  

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

"This season there was another important turning point in my view, which is the way Lando responded to the difficulties we had at the start of the season. It was the start of a process which was structured, holistic, it involved personal development, professional driving, racecraft. 

"And I think it makes me particularly glad that Lando could capitalise on this, because this has been something that I've not necessarily seen many times before in terms of the amount of work, the people involved, and the rate of development."

Stella said dealing with adversity is a quality both Norris and Piastri, who was also in title contention until Abu Dhabi, have become much better at over the past year.

"This again is valid for both our drivers, absorbing a couple of tough moments," he explained. "When we needed to tell the drivers that we got disqualified [in Las Vegas], that was tough, because they had done the job, but we had not. And they lost a lot of points.

"And in a similar way, absorbing the fact that in Qatar we had a moment where we could have done better [with the strategy]. But they never pointed the finger at the team.

"There are so many aspects in which both drivers have grown, and especially this constant support of the team, not only is the one that makes me most proud of our two guys, but I think is also the most important for the overall success."