Lewis Hamilton’s heartwarming message to F1 world champion Lando Norris: ‘I’m so happy for you’

The seven-time world champion congratulated compatriot Norris on his maiden title in Abu Dhabi

Lewis Hamilton had a heartwarming message for Lando Norris after the McLaren driver sealed his maiden Formula 1 world championship on Sunday.

McLaren driver Norris claimed the 2025 title after finishing third at the season finale in Abu Dhabi, with race winner Max Verstappen concluding the campaign just two points behind.

Norris becomes Britain’s 11th F1 world champion and the first since Hamilton’s seventh triumph in 2020. The last British champion who wasn’t Hamilton was Jenson Button in 2009.

Hamilton, who concluded a miserable first season for Ferrari without a podium all year, sought out compatriot Norris in the media pen after Sunday’s race.

After a warm embrace between the pair, Hamilton said: “I’m so happy for you. I told you, you could do it.”

Hamilton and Norris have a strong relationship, with the 40-year-old long supportive of the McLaren driver’s racing approach over a number of years.

Speaking to the media, Hamilton added: “I’m really happy for him. Winning your first world championship is truly special.

“The UK continues to pump out great drivers and I know what the feeling is also when you’re coming into this race and fighting for oyur first championship, it’s nerve-wracking. I’m just really proud of him.

“Before the weekend, I told him what he does works, so don’t change anything and I guess that’s what he did.”

Hamilton finished the final race of the year in eighth place, rising eight places after qualifying 16th. While it meant he held on to sixth place in the championship ahead of Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, it will still go down as a campaign to forget.

"At the moment I'm only looking forward to the break,” he added. “Just disconnecting. Not speaking to anyone.

“No one's going to be able to get a hold of me this winter. I won't have my phone with me. I'm looking forward to that. Just completely unplugged from the matrix."

The 2026 F1 season starts on 8 March with the Australian Grand Prix.