That is what Lando Norris wins for claiming his first F1 drivers’ championship

After overcoming the stress of a title battle, a factors deficit to his team-mate and all of the dramas of McLaren’s papaya guidelines, Lando Norris clinched his first System 1 title in Abu Dhabi after ending third within the season finale.

However after seeing off stiff competitors from team-mate Oscar Piastri and Crimson Bull’s Max Verstappen over the course of the 24-race season, what does the Brit truly win for turning into F1’s newest champion?

In System 1’s 75-year historical past, there have been 35 totally different world champions from 16 producers. In that point, the prize for the F1 champion has remained largely unchanged.

Firstly, there’s one factor that the brand new world champion doesn’t get, and that’s a prize fund just like the profitable constructor will obtain. System 1 doesn’t dish out prize cash to its profitable driver, and as a substitute divides the prize pot amongst its groups in accordance with a posh components set out within the Concorde Settlement.

Drivers might get a bonus from their staff on account of the win, however a driver prize fund from F1 or the FIA doesn’t exist. This has traditionally been the case too, with particular person races generally handing out prize cash to the highest finishers, however a comically massive cheque for the champion isn’t seen in F1.

The World Drivers Championship trophy

Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Photos through Getty Photos

One factor the drivers do get, nonetheless, is a trophy. For the reason that Nineties, the trophy in query has been the imaginatively named FIA System 1 World Drivers’ Championship Trophy. The award was designed by Richard Fox of metalworking firm Fox Silver in 1995. It includes a sterling silver cup with gold particulars and incorporates the signatures of each champion all through F1 historical past.

Annually, the F1 champion picks up this trophy on the annual FIA Prize-Giving Ceremony, which takes place at a separate occasion after the chequered flag has flown on the final race of the season. Nevertheless, the trophy will not be Norris’ to maintain, because it’s usually displayed on the profitable driver’s staff’s facility earlier than being taken again by the FIA and handed to the subsequent F1 champion a 12 months later. If a driver does need their very own champion’s cup to take house, they’ll pay for a reproduction.

This 12 months, the prize-giving ceremony will happen in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, and can see the FIA crown the F1 champion, and prizes can even be given out throughout different on- and off-track championships.

In addition to a short lived trophy, the F1 world champion additionally wins the choice to race with the #1 race quantity on their swimsuit, helmet and automobile. The only digit is reserved for the present champion, and Verstappen has raced beneath it since selecting up his first crown in 2021.

After all, drivers can select to race beneath #1 or their very own quantity, with drivers like Lewis Hamilton retaining with their very own race quantity.

Learn Additionally:

Images from Abu Dhabi GP – Race

Lando Norris, McLaren