F1 fans watching the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix yesterday expected to see newly crowned champion Lando Norris lift the world championship trophy right after crossing the line during the post-race celebrations. The cameras caught him crying with joy, hugging his family, and getting drenched in champagne on the podium, but the championship trophy was nowhere to be seen.
That is because Norris has to wait a few more days before he is actually allowed to receive it due to a very odd rule in modern sport.
Why the F1 World Champion Must Wait for the Trophy
F1 does not hand out the World Drivers’ Championship trophy to the winner on the day they clinch the title; instead, the trophy is only presented at the FIA Prize-Giving Ceremony, a black-tie event held at the end of the year. The 2025 ceremony takes place on Friday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and that is when Norris will finally get to touch the trophy he has spent his entire life working for.
The FIA, which governs F1, sees the championship trophy as the centerpiece of its gala, and under its rules, the champion, runner-up, and third-place driver must attend the ceremony. The same applies to the constructors’ championship trophy, and in this case, McLaren won that title too, which helped them earn more than $160 million in prize money.
The second reason is even more unusual, as the FIA wants to avoid handing out the trophy before the championship is officially finalized. Teams technically have four days before the ceremony to protest the championship results. That rule was created to avoid controversies like the dramatic 2021 championship aftermath, where Mercedes protested the result after the final race.
However, critics argue it feels odd when F1 trophies for individual races can switch hands after the podium, with a recent example being the Las Vegas podium this year, where McLaren was disqualified due to technical infringements. That trophy went to George Russell as well as Kimi Antonelli afterward, with almost zero attention.
F1 itself does not cause the situation, as the owners of the sport, Liberty Media, tried to get the trophy onto the grid before the dramatic 2021 Abu Dhabi finale. However, the decision ultimately rests with the FIA, and for now, the tradition remains.
When Norris receives the trophy on Friday, he will be in a tuxedo and not in a McLaren race suit, and there will not be champagne spraying or iconic celebration pictures that stay in the memory of fans forever. However, Norris still leaves Abu Dhabi as the world champion, and his name is now officially etched in the history books of F1.
Lando Norris’ Long Road to the Top of F1
Norris has been one of the sport’s brightest talents since his debut in 2019, and after joining McLaren when the team was struggling near the back of the field, the climb to the top was a long one rather than a lucky shortcut.
Seven seasons later, he finally achieved the dream that every racing kid dreams of, as his third place in Abu Dhabi was enough to secure the 2025 F1 driver’s championship by just two points over four-time winner Max Verstappen. Teammate Oscar Piastri finished second in the race and third in the standings, which further sealed a mighty season for McLaren.
Norris became McLaren’s eighth world champion and their first since Lewis Hamilton back in 2008, and it was an emotional moment for him. After the race, he said, “I’ve not cried in a while! I didn’t think I would cry, but I did. It feels amazing. I now know what Max feels like a little bit! I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competitors the whole season.”
“It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them. It’s been an honour, I’ve learned a lot from both. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a long year. We did it, and I’m so proud of everyone,” he added.
Fans around the world were waiting for the moment when he would lift the iconic trophy high into the sky, but he only celebrated with the race’s third-place trophy on the podium.