Guenther Steiner gives honest verdict on Lando Norris being considered an 'undeserving' F1 champion

Former Haas F1 boss Guenther Steiner has given his honest verdict on Lando Norris not being considered a 'deserving' champion this year. McLaren had the best car on the grid for most of the season and wrapped up the constructors' championship with six races remaining.

However, the drivers' championship picture was entirely different. Oscar Piastri seemed ready to run away with the championship in the first half of the season, but couldn't seal the deal, while Lando Norris made a comeback to become the new leader. However, Max Verstappen was on an even better run and pushed the three-way title fight down to the last race of the season.

The Red Bull driver finished on the podium in all ten races after the summer break and became the people's champion. Meanwhile, the McLarens seemed to lose consistency. But because of the massive lead they gathered earlier in the season, it was enough to see Norris limp home with his first F1 title, as Verstappen eventually finished two points behind him.

Because Norris couldn't get the job done earlier, many fans felt he was 'undeserving' of the title. However, Guenther Steiner bluntly countered this stance, saying (via Krone):

"I can't agree with that. He absolutely deserved the title. Lando fought until the very end. We had already written him off during the season – myself included – but he bravely fought his way back, and that's why he became world champion. He learned his lesson and avoided the mistakes he made at the beginning of the season."

Though Lando Norris won the 2025 F1 drivers' championship, neither the team bosses nor his driver rivals considered him the best driver of the season. F1 took a vote from eight team principals and 16 drivers, and in both cases, Max Verstappen secured the top spot.

Lando Norris won the 2025 F1 championship 'his way' by not fitting a mold

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris on the podium after the 2025 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Many F1 experts and analysts had also criticized Lando Norris for not being aggressive enough like the champions of the past. McLaren's peace-loving 'Papaya Rules' didn't help that case.

However, the Briton wanted to win the championship his way, which was about being himself and not trying to emulate the champions of the past, even if aggressive racing seemed to be a proven title-winning trait. In the post-race press conference in Abu Dhabi, where he secured a podium to win the title, Norris was asked about how he felt the title would contribute to his growth.

"I believe I won the championship this year my way – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an honest driver," Norris replied. "At times, could I have been more aggressive and got off the brakes and had a few people over? I certainly could have done, and maybe I would need to do more of that in the future. But did I need to do it this year? Is that the way I want to go racing? Is that me? It's not." "And I'm sure if you compare me, if that’s what you wanna do, to all the champions: have I been as aggressive as them at times? No. Have I been as daring as them at times? No. But did I do just what I needed to do to win the world championship? Did I perform consistently? Did I perform when I needed to under the most pressure? Post-Zandvoort, did I come back in the way I had to? Did I have three, four weekends of great results? I did. And I performed when I needed to perform to win the World Championship this season. And in the end, that’s what I needed to do," the McLaren driver added.

Unfortunately for Lando Norris, he won his first championship at the end of the current regulation cycle. This means McLaren's domination won't necessarily continue in 2026 in the new technical era, reducing the possibility of a consecutive championship for the 26-year-old.

Edited by Yash Kotak