Lando Norris secured McLaren’s first Formula 1 constructors’ title in 26 years with victory at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Norris led from start to finish and his fourth win of the season was enough to secure the championship by 13 points, although Ferrari finished second and third with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc’s brilliant performance after starting 19th on the grid kept the tension high – if anything had happened to Norris’ car, Ferrari would have won the title.

Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in his final race for Mercedes, overtaking his teammate George Russell with six corners to go.

Hamilton did donuts in the pits immediately after crossing the finish line and then took a moment to collect his thoughts with his car before congratulating Norris and McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown and consoling Sainz and Leclerc.

The scare for McLaren began in the first corner when Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri, who had qualified second behind the Brit, was caught in a spin by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The world champion received a 10-second penalty for causing the incident.

That put Piastri at the back of the field and left McLaren’s hopes resting on Norris.

Leclerc ratcheted up McLaren’s nerves with a stunning first lap in which he gained a remarkable eleven places, including overtaking five cars at once as he approached the chicane in turns six and seven.

Leclerc’s rise continued as he overtook Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg as well as Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin and, after his pit stop on lap 20, Pierre Gasly’s Alpine. He was third when the Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen swerved out of his way.

Leclerc, who was in third place behind Norris and Sainz for the last 15 laps, asked if “this is how we lose the constructors” and was told, yes, but the race was not over yet.

But Norris and McLaren had everything under control and he crossed the finish line six seconds ahead of Sainz, ending a long and painful spell without a title.