Lando Norris openly confessed to feeling guilty after disobeying McLaren race engineer Will Joseph’s direct instructions following his landmark victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The 26-year-old British driver had just secured his maiden Drivers' Championship by finishing third, edging out Max Verstappen by two points in a thrilling finale at the Yas Marina Circuit.
As the chequered flag fell, Norris was congratulated by McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and his race engineer via radio. Immediately, Joseph cautioned him: “Hate to be a little bit boring, no burnouts.” Norris acknowledged the order with a quick “Sure,” but moments later defied the directive by performing donuts down the start-finish straight, delighting fans with his celebration.
Reflecting on his spontaneous act, Norris said, “Will told me not to do donuts. And I’m like, ‘God, can I do donuts or not?’ I have to. This is one opportunity in my life to do donuts. I have to do it.” He admitted to feeling remorseful afterward, adding, “It’s not often I don’t listen to Will. I felt bad that I did it, but yeah.”
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Norris’s cheeky celebration was the only McLaren team rule breach during the intense Abu Dhabi race. His teammate Oscar Piastri executed a strategic move early on, aggressively challenging Verstappen at Turn Nine, while Norris maintained a clean race, doing exactly what was required to secure the championship.
Speaking highly of Piastri, Norris revealed a heartfelt wish for his teammate to have won the race. “I wanted Oscar to win today,” he said. “That would have made me even happier, seeing Oscar on the top step because he would have gotten his job done finishing second overall, and I would have achieved my goal too. It’s a shame it couldn’t happen, but honestly, I was really hoping for it.”
Although Norris emerged on top this season, he anticipates a different dynamic in the future. “I feel like I’m a better driver now than at the start of the season,” he stated. “Racing against a four-time world champion like Max and a teammate like Oscar—who will probably be a world champion someday—motivates me to perform at my best.”