McLaren driver Lando Norris held his nerve but could not hold back the tears after clinching his first Formula 1 title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

Red Bull driver and defending champion Max Verstappen won the race with Norris placing third behind his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in second, which allowed Norris to finish two points ahead of Verstappen in the season-long standings.

“It’s incredible. It is pretty surreal. I’ve dreamed of this for a long, long time,” said the 26-year-old Norris, who started his F1 career as a test and reserve driver with McLaren. “I feel like I did my part for the team this year and I’m very proud of myself for that. I’m even more proud for everyone who I hopefully made cry.”

Norris became Britain’s 11th F1 champion, a racing journey that began with kart racing when he was 8 years old. The first of his 11 F1 race wins came last year, when he finished second overall in the standings.

Piastri was also in contention for his first F1 title and finished third in the standings, 13 points behind Norris, who ended the season with seven wins and 423 points.

Hamilton’s 16th-place result represents progress from recent outings when he crossed the line in 20th (dead last) in Las Vegas and 17th in Qatar, reports the Mirror US.

“I don’t have the words to describe the feeling inside me,” he stated after the race. “There is just an unbearable amount of anger and rage. There is not really much I can say about it.”

Hamilton had previously triumphed five times at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. He’ll conclude the 2025 season far removed from championship contention once more. Following Las Vegas, Hamilton labeled this his “worst season ever. “I feel terrible, terrible. It’s been the worst season ever,” he declared. “No matter how much I try, it keeps getting worse. I’m trying everything, in and out of the car.”

Verstappen, however, sits 12 points behind Lando Norris heading into Sunday’s championship finale that could deny him a remarkable fifth consecutive F1 title. He emerged triumphant in that Las Vegas showdown.

He secured pole position on Saturday with a razor-thin 0.03-second margin, setting himself up perfectly for Sunday’s decisive race. “We found a bit more lap time, and I am incredibly happy to be in first,” he remarked after the session. “That’s the only thing we can do, we can control, to maximise what we have and what we can with the car, and we definitely did that in qualifying.”

1996 world champion Damon Hill showered the gifted Red Bull ace with acclaim during his BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra appearance on Saturday. “Max Verstappen just piled on the pressure on everyone; he just kept on getting better,” he declared. “He’s just a machine, Red Bull are just so strong, and they have done everything they need to do.”

Michael Annett, a past NASCAR winner at Talladega and Daytona, has died at age 39.

JR Motorsports announced Annett’s death on Friday.

NASCAR.com reports the Des Moines, Iowa native made 436 combined starts across NASCAR’s three national touring series, with 321 in the Xfinity Series.

In 2019, he took the series’ season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway in the No. 1 JRM Chevrolet for his first and only win at the national level.

He retired in 2021 after a stress fracture kept him out for parts of the season.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett,” JR Motorsports shared in a post on X.

“Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”

Annett made his debut in 2008 before going full-time in 2009, entering with Germain Racing before transitioning to Rusty Wallace Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports.

He spent three years at the sport’s top level in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving for Turner Scott Motorsports from 2014 through 2016 and making 106 starts across those three seasons. He then joined JRM in 2017.

Annett was also a two-time winner in the ARCA Menards Series, with a Talladega Superspeedway victory in 2007 before winning the 2008 series opener at Daytona.

In a statement, NASCAR called him a “respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage.”

“Throughout his career, he represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer,” NASCAR’s statement said.

Brad Keselowski paid tribute to Annett on social media after his death.

“Michael was an up and comer at the same time I was and he was looking really good. In the end, Life took us different paths and all of us who knew him and the talent he had are sad to see him go, but glad he is no longer suffering,” he wrote.

By Tom Coughlin

The 32nd annual New York State Indoor Kart Championships will take place Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6-7, at the Center of Progress Building at the New York State Fairgrounds.

Eighteen different classes will compete, with drivers age 5 and up. Saturday’s schedule begins with the building opening at 8 a.m., followed by registration at 10 a.m. and practice at 11 a.m., with racing to follow. Sunday’s schedule features an 8 a.m. opening, registration at 9 a.m., practice at 10 a.m., and racing to follow.

Royal Mountain Ski Area will host the first of three scheduled Snow Drag events for the winter on Saturday, Dec. 13. Registration runs from 4 to 6 p.m., with test passes at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. Royal Mountain is located at 3072 Route 10 in Johnstown.

Fonda Speedway will present the Chill Factor Enduro on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. Gates to the pit area open at 10 a.m., grandstand at 11 a.m., and racing begins at 1 p.m. Grandstand admission is $10, and pit admission is $30. Competitors may register in person or online at www.thefondaspeedway.com. Saturday, Jan. 3, is the rain date.

The 2026 Andy’s Speed Shop Racing Seminar will be held Friday and Saturday, Jan. 9-10, at Varin Enterprises, 212 Stoner Trail Road in Johnstown. Payment should be submitted by Jan. 2 to 553 S. Comrie Avenue, Johnstown. For more information, call 518-762-1333.

The 40th annual Chili Bowl Nationals take place Jan. 12-17 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The indoor midget car racing event features top drivers from various disciplines, including NASCAR and Indy Car.

Lance & Jill Sharpe Motorsports will present the 3rd annual Lebanon Valley Speedway Race Car Show on Friday and Saturday, March 13-14, at the Colonie Center Mall in Albany. The event, held in memory of Jason Herrington, will feature cars from Lebanon Valley Dragway, Lebanon Valley Go-Kart track, and Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

The Empire Super Sprints announced that their 360 winged sprint cars will make their first appearance at Port Royal Speedway in Pennsylvania on May 16, 2026.

Fonda Speedway will host the annual Bill Ag Memorial Modified Elimination Race on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The track also announced a “Fonda/Valley Challenge” event on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, pitting drivers from Fonda against those from Lebanon Valley Speedway.

The Short Track Super Series released portions of its 2026 schedule, including events at Port Royal Speedway (March 13-14), Bridgeport Speedway (March 21), Lebanon Valley Speedway (May 21), Fonda Speedway (July 1), and Afton Motorsports Park (Sept. 3). The annual Fonda 200 weekend is set for Sept. 17-19.

The Saratoga Automobile Museum is offering a membership special through Dec. 5. The museum also features a raffle for a 2025 Porsche 718 Cayman S or $75,000 cash. Visit www.saratogaautomuseum.org for details.

Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown will host its “Big Series 3” on one Sunday per month in 2026, leading up to Eastern States Weekend in October.

Utica-Rome Speedway announced it will be DIRTcar sanctioned for the 2026 season. Weekly divisions will include DIRTcar 358 modified, DIRTcar crate 602 sportsman, and DIRTcar pro stock. The track also signed a three-year broadcast deal with Floracing.

Mat Williamson was crowned the 2025 Super DIRTcar Series champion, his second consecutive title. Williamson finished in the top ten in 29 of 30 features, including five victories. The 2026 series kicks off at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida on Feb. 11-14.