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The 2021 F1 season saw Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen lock horns in arguably one of the most competitive title showdowns in the history of the sport. From the three-day pre-season testing in Bahrain to the final lap in Abu Dhabi, it was a season loaded with excitement, vigor and plenty of controversy. Let's revisit the season with an all time high rivalry in the history of modern racing.
Statistically speaking, how did both the drivers perform in F1 2021?
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton both went level on points into the last race of the F1 2021 season in Abu Dhabi. However, thanks to Verstappen's win under arguably contentious circumstances, the final points tally went in his favor. Here's how the driver stats looked at the end of the season:
Verstappen:
- Points: 395.5
- Pole Positions: 10
- Wins: 10
Hamilton:
- Points: 387.5
- Pole Positions: 5
- Wins: 8
What do these stats tell us?
From the stats alone, it is clear that Max Verstappen dominated the majority of the season. Despite three unlucky DNFs, he still topped the table for the most part. He proved to be the perfect contender for the championship by successfully going head-to-head with 7 time world champion, Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen was pitch-perfect in almost every race and qualifying session that took place in the 2021 season. His 10 pole positions are a testimony to this fact. He never qualified below P3 in all the qualifying sessions he'd been a part of and had an average qualifying position of 3.82. He also led more laps than the rest of the grid combined, with 652 laps.
Hamilton's stats, however, reflect one thing that plagued Mercedes right from the beginning of the F1 2021 season. The aerodynamics regulation change wasn't desirable to the likes of Mercedes and Hamilton, who now found themselves in a close battle with Red Bull and Verstappen.
Although Hamilton started off strong with three victories off the first four races, Verstappen got the better of him and went on to have multiple race victories to establish his lead over him. He also made a number of driver errors that cost him gravely, like the one in 2021 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Despite this, he came back strong in the second half of the season, winning back-to-back races. Mercedes successfully pulled off their car development over the summer break, giving him a car that restored his hopes of achieving glory again.
A noteworthy mention of his final few marvelous wins, the greatest drive came in the F1 2021 Grand Prix. He wwas 20th0th on the grid for the Sprint Race on Saturday and then crossed the checkered flag in the first place on Sunday. It truly was a sight to behold and a championship deserving victory from the defending champion, hunting down the gap to his rival.
The controversial moments made the 2021 F1 season what it is today.
The F1 2021 season was filled with lots of drama and controversy, on and off track. Team Principals Toto Wolff of Mercedes and Christian Horner of Red Bull kept sparring with each other over the legitimacy of each other's cars.
On track too, things heated up right from the first race. At the F1 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix, Verstappen had to hand his lead gain back to Hamilton as it was deemed an illegal move by the stewards. This cost him the race victory. They went wheel to wheel again on multiple occasions and more often than not, Verstappen came out on top. Until the F1 2021 British Grand Prix.
Hamilton's move on Verstappen into the Cobbs corner was one of the defining moments of this championship rivalry. Hamilton, despite a 10 second time penalty, still took the victory and proved he wasn't going to go easy on his young rival. The two ran into each other yet again, in Italy. This time, both the cars did not finish well.
The F1 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was another controversy filled race, where Verstappen, this time around, proved that he too was ready to go to any lengths for this championship. Both drivers had shown that in order to win, sometimes you have to get your hands dirty.
However, the stage was set. Both drivers have given it all throughout the long season. They may have suffered setbacks, but both of them came back strong enough to be level on points for the last race. The whole world was watching, and it was time for the one final shot at glory.
The 2021 F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
Although predicted to be a slam-dunk victory for Mercedes, Max Verstappen secured pole position in Abu Dhabi for the tenth time this season. He started on the front row on soft tires, alongside his championship rival Lewis Hamilton on medium tires. But when the five lights went out, it was Hamilton who got the better start and passed Verstappen easily into the first corner.
The two came close again further down the road where Hamilton had to run wide and got to keep his position as it was deemed fair by the stewards. The race, in itself, was pretty straightforward. For some reason, Verstappen never overtook Hamilton, even when his teammate Sergio Perez defended him and brought the former within striking distance of the latter.
It was all going well for Hamilton until the safety car incident came about. After putting on an immense display of experience and skill, Lewis Hamilton, who was on 40-lap old tires, was passed on the last lap by his rival, Max Verstappen. The shock, the defeat and the emotions were evidently written on his face. He had put his heart and soul into this and hence, had earned the right to mourn his loss.
At the Red Bull camp, however, it was all joy and celebration. Their young maestro, the 24 year old Dutchman Max Verstappen, put on one of the greatest ever title fights and came out on top. He had just beaten Lewis Hamilton, ending his six-year dominance in the sport.
One can argue that the controversial decision made by Race Director Michael Masi may have changed things for Verstappen during the race, but the beauty of this sport lies in the fact that it can make or break dreams, in the most unexpected ways. In the end, the Silver Arrow just couldn't stop the Raging Red Bull in its tracks.
