Defining moments of the 2021 F1 title race between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen

After years of staid competition, Formula 1 fans are finally enjoying a titanic title fight between defending champion Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. The seven-time champ has had his work cut out for him in 2021, with the fiery Dutchman keeping him honest at every race.

There has been no shortage of talking points or controversies so far, with the two championship protagonists going wheel-to-wheel on more than one occasion.

As we head into another weekend without a Formula 1 race, it's a good time to go through some of the defining moments of the 2021 season so far.

Hamilton fends off Verstappen in Bahrain

Red Bull were the favorites from the get-go as they dominated pre-season testing, with Verstappen even securing the fastest lap. Proving the predictions right, the 23-year-old led in all practice sessions and took pole position ahead of Hamilton.

But the Brit drove a superb race as he undercut the Dutchman after the initial pitstop. When Verstappen came in for his second stop, 10 laps after Hamilton, it set up a thrilling finale, with the Red Bull ace closing in fast.

On lap 53, Verstappen tried to go around the outside of the Mercedes driver heading into Turn 4, but had to go off track to pull off the move. Not wanting to risk a penalty for taking a shortcut, he gave the position back and Hamilton held on for the win.

Mercedes get their strategy spot on in Spain

Mercedes caught Red Bull napping with a clever strategy call to claim victory in Barcelona. After getting his elbows out and passing Hamilton on the first lap, Verstappen led most of the race. Red Bull opted for a single pitstop while Mercedes went for a two-stop strategy.

Hamilton made his second pitstop on lap 43, and 16 circuits later, overtook the Dutchman to take over the lead. It was a similar strategy to the one his team had employed at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix, where he passed Verstappen in the closing stages.

Mercedes out-strategized Red Bull in Barcelona.

Hamilton fails to cash in on Verstappen's Baku misfortune

Tire issues underscored this year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku as both Verstappen and Lance Stroll crashed due to high-speed blowouts on the start-finish straight. Until then, the Red Bulls were running first and second, and it seemed an easy victory was on the cards for the Dutchman. But his accident with five laps to go brought out the red flag.

Verstappen kicks the tire that took him out of the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

However, Hamilton failed to take advantage of his title rival's misfortune. He locked up his brakes during the ensuing restart and had to take to the Turn 1 runoff zone. Sergio Perez ended up winning his first race for Red Bull.

Hamilton finished in 15th place, outside the points-paying positions, squandering a golden opportunity to take the lead in the championship.

Red Bull exact revenge in France

At the French Grand Prix in Paul Ricard, Red Bull managed to turn the tables on Mercedes for the Barcelona humiliation. After starting from pole position, Verstappen made a mistake on the opening lap and handed Hamilton the lead.

However, the Dutchman kept his wits about him and began a brilliant comeback drive. Red Bull's decision to go for a two-stop strategy paid off. The Mercedes drivers had only stopped once and their tires were shot by the closing stages. After getting past Valtteri Bottas, Verstappen retook the top spot from a struggling Hamilton on lap 52 of 53.

It was a brilliant strategy call from Red Bull as they successfully exacted revenge for Hungary 2019 and Spain earlier in the season.

Verstappen and Red Bull pulled off a brilliant comeback drive at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Hamilton and Verstappen tangle in Silverstone

The rivalry between the two title contenders, which had been simmering until then, reached a boiling point at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone.

Dueling over the lead on the very first lap, Hamilton made contact with Verstappen as the two went into the high-speed Copse corner. While the Brit came out of it unscathed, the Red Bull driver was sent careening off into the barrier. Not only was his race over but he had to be transferred to the hospital.

Opinions were divided between both pundits and fans alike, with some calling it a racing incident while others put the blame squarely at Hamilton's feet.

The British Grand Prix saw the title fight reach boiling point.

Although Hamilton received a 10-second penalty for his role in the incident, he put in a superb recovery drive to win his eighth British Grand Prix.

It was a pivotal moment in the title race. Hamilton came into the British Grand Prix 33 points adrift of Verstappen and badly in need of a win. He left with a deficit of just seven points.

Verstappen's Hungarian Grand Prix disaster

At a race where Verstappen needed to make up some ground on Hamilton, he ended up losing the points lead to the Brit instead.

The wet conditions at the start led to a first-corner pile-up triggered by Bottas, which eliminated five cars. Although Verstappen was able to continue on, his Red Bull had suffered considerable damage and was off the pace.

Hamilton came out of the carnage unscathed but dropped to the back of the pack after a delayed pitstop. Nevertheless, he fought his way back to an impressive third-place result while Verstappen could only finish ninth.

Factoring in second-place finisher Sebastian Vettel's disqualification due to a post-race technical infringement, Hamilton now leads Verstappen in the driver standings by eight points.

It has been a riveting season so far, with drama from start to finish and a title race for the ages. It is advantage Hamilton heading into the summer break but anything could happen in the second half of the season with over 10 races left. Red Bull have a stout package, and with Max Verstappen on top of his game, they will continue to be formidable title contenders.