5 reasons why 2021 was one of the best seasons in F1 history

For an F1 fan, the 2021 season was a gift that kept on giving. After multiple seasons of a rather dull Mercedes dominance where fans pretty much knew who was going to win the title, the 2021 season delivered in unexpected ways. In this piece, let's take a look at the five reasons why the 2021 season was one of the best in recent years.

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Why 2021 was one of the best seasons in F1 history

#1 Red Bull and Mercedes were evenly matched

The F1 world had grown accustomed to seeing age-old Mercedes domination for the better part of a decade now. So when it appeared that Mercedes would have a challenger in the form of Red Bull, it immediately made things interesting.

In the last few years, Red Bull had caused an upset or two by picking up a win here and there, but finally having a car as fast or even faster than the Mercedes changed the game entirely. For once, we had two different teams with comparable machinery duking it out for wins every weekend. It was a welcome surprise for every F1 fan.

#2 Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were the top two drivers

In the last few years, slowly but steadily, Max Verstappen has removed all the rough edges from his game that had given him the reputation of a fast but reckless driver. It was evident last year that Verstappen was always there behind the Mercedes, ready to pounce and make the most of any opportunity that comes.

By the start of the 2021 season, Lewis Hamilton was still the best driver on the grid on consensus, but Verstappen was a very close second. After the F1 2021 season, we can say that the roles have now been reversed.

#3 Intense competition up and down the grid

This season saw battles at the front of the grid and throughout the field, which led to the gradual development of some interesting rivalries. While Mercedes and Red Bull were battling it out for the title, there was a battle for P3 between Ferrari and McLaren and then, further down the order, there was a close one between Alpine and Alpha Tauri for P5.

Fans have seen intense competition between the teams wherever they look throughout the season.

#4 Plenty of feel-good moments

The F1 calendar for 2021 was not filled only with Max vs Lewis and the championship battles. It was also sprinkled with some amazing feel-good moments throughout the season.

Be it Esteban Ocon's win at the Hungarian Grand Prix, or Sebastian Vettel's podium at Baku, or the McLaren 1-2 at Monza, or even the first pole for Lando Norris in Russia, these moments made the season worth watching as fans were treated to new faces making a breakthrough, beyond the usual suspects.

#5 Gifted with a lot of wet races

You know it's a good season when you get multiple races where weather plays a role. Such was the case in the F1 2021 season where, for a change, when there was a possibility of rain, it did rain, and it did spice things up and in many ways, it did make the season and the races more interesting.

Be it Imola, Hungary, Russia, or Turkey (and Spa?) the rain played a role and spiced things up. The F1 2021 season was perfect if you wanted someone to start watching the sport. It will be interesting to see what next year has in store for the fans.