As he crossed the finish line on 7th December, 2025, Lando Norris secured McLaren’s first World Driver’s Championship since 2008. This wrapped up a nail-biting season, which stayed tense until the final lap. Let’s dive, or perhaps drive, right in.
Have you ever noticed that little voice narrating your every move — the one that panics during exams, delivers Oscar-worthy shower speeches, and replays that one embarrassing Year 8 moment like a cursed highlight reel? That inner narrator is called an internal monologue and plot twist: not everyone has one.
I’m currently in the depths of US college admissions. Having submitted a few applications already and submitting a few more soon, I’d like to think that I will soon see the light at the end of this tunnel. As I’ve been going through all of this, I’ve had some time to reflect, and I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned along the way. Some of these were my own misconceptions, and others are things I hear from people around me all the time. Hopefully, this gives anyone who’s curious about applying a clearer picture of what the process is really like!
There was a time when being busy, unreachable, and offline was actually normal. A walk outside, a trip to the supermarket, even an evening at home meant you could disappear without explanation and just do whatever it is you wanted to do. But today, silence is suspicious. A delayed reply feels like a problem. Purposeful. Notifications follow us everywhere – buzzing during meals, at school, at 2am, and even in the moments that should belong to us. We live connected, but also constantly exposed. And although instant communication feels convenient, there are hidden costs to always being available.
For the first time since 2010, the World Drivers’ Championship will be decided in Abu Dhabi in a three-way battle. Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris all have the chance to win the title. There are only sixteen points between first and third place as we come into the race weekend, so the Grand Prix is shaping up to be a thriller.
