Why Norris has to wait to get his championship trophy

Lando Norris became the 35th driver to win the championship, but he was not awarded the official trophy in Abu Dhabi.

A replica of the trophy was on the track before the final race of the 2025 season.

Instead, the 26-year-old celebrated with his third-place trophy at the Yas Marina Circuit.

This is because governing body FIA award the trophy during their annual awards gala.

The gala will take place on Friday, 12 December 2025 at 18:00 GMT, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Norris will not get to keep the trophy permanently, but can instead order a replica to keep, as previous winners have done.

The ceremony will celebrate title winners, teams and leading figures from across motorsport to "recognise exceptional talent and outstanding achievements on and off the track".

McLaren will also be presented with the World Constructors' Championship trophy at the gala.

Trophies are presented some time after the final race of the season because FIA's International Sporting Code allows competitors to ask for a right of review, which could change the events of a race.

The gala is a traditional conclusion to the motorsport season. The top drivers, teams and organisations are honoured for their achievements in various FIA championships.

Trophies for other FIA elite World Championships will also be awarded that evening, ranging from World Rally to Formula E.

The 2025 awards are being hosted in collaboration with the Uzbekistan government and the National Autosport and Karting Federation of Uzbekistan.

The theme is 'Dreams of a Champion', which reflects on the years of "dedication and sacrifice needed to achieve the ultimate goal".

The current drivers' championship trophy was designed in 1995 by Fox Silver.

It is a cup shape, made up of silver and gold, and has each champion's signature engraved on the outside in a spiral, alongside their name and winning year in print.

Signatures begin from the first champion, Giuseppe Farina in 1950, to the latest, which is Lando Norris.

The design was intended have enough space for champions across 100 years of the sport.

The constructors' trophy is similar in shape, but instead of signatures, the constructor's logo is placed on each year.

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