YEARENDER-Motor Sports: McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates his first Formula One championship

F1

McLaren's Lando Norris celebrated his first Formula One championship and ended Max Verstappen's four-year reign with a nervy third place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Verstappen, winner of more races (eight) than any driver this year, triumphed in the season-ender with McLaren's Oscar Piastri second.

Norris, who became Britain's 11th Formula One world champion, ended the season with 423 points to Verstappen's 421 and Piastri's 410.

McLaren, who secured the constructors' championship in October for the second year in a row, won both titles in the same season for the first time since 1998.

World Rally Championship

Toyota's Sebastien Ogier secured a record-equalling ninth world rally title in Saudi Arabia to equal the tally of fellow Frenchman Sebastien Loeb and become the sport's oldest champion at 41.

Ogier won six titles consecutively from 2013-18 and added two more in 2020 and 2021. He has found success with three different manufacturers -- Volkswagen, Ford and Toyota.

He had announced his intention to retire from full-time rallying at the end of 2021 but has continued part-time and won his latest title despite being absent from three of the 14 rounds, winning six.

The Frenchman will be 42 on December 17 and is now the oldest driver to win the world championship. The previous oldest was Finland's Hannu Mikkola at 41 years and 183 days in 1983.

MotoGP

Ducati's Marc Marquez clinched his seventh MotoGP championship at the Japanese Grand Prix, his first since 2019, when he took an unassailable lead in the world championship with five rounds to spare.

Marquez needed to outscore his brother and title contender Alex of Gresini Racing by three or more points by the end of the weekend, and finished second behind his Italian teammate Francesco Bagnaia in the race to clinch the title.

Marc had his head in his hands after he crossed the line and when the magnitude of the accomplishment hit him, the Spaniard let out a scream.

Production: Andy Ragg, Conal Quinn/Reuters