Controversy is no stranger to Formula One, but 2021 will go down as one of the sport’s most significant, if not strangest, controversies. As expected, the battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton went down to the wire, but not even Hollywood could have scripted the ending.
2021 is reminiscent of what happened in 2005 when Michael Schumacher, who had dominated the sport for years, was challenged by Fernando Alonso, an upstart young 24-year-old driver. This year, defending champion Lewis Hamilton was seeking an unprecedented 8th F1 championship, challenged to do so by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Hamilton won in Bahrain, Portugal, Spain, Great Britain, Russia, Brazil, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Verstappen took Emilia Romagna, Monaco, France, both races run in Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands, The United States, Mexico, and Abu Dhabi.
Mercedes defeated Red Bull for the Constructor’s championship, but Verstappen grabbed the Drivers’ Championship with a contested win last Sunday in Abu Dhabi.
And while so much was written/discussed regarding the battle between Hamilton and Verstappen, and between Mercedes and Red Bull. those weren’t the only competitions associated with season 2021. McLaren and Ferrari went head-to-head, seeking to be crowned “the best of the rest.” And thanks to team effort and drivers that consistently finished in the top ten, the Italian team won. The fifth-best position was a contest, too, among Alpine, Alpha Tauri, and Aston Martin–until Astin Martin fell back toward the season’s end. With Fernando Alonso’s third place at Qatar, the French team clinched fifth, identical to the previous year.
As always, Formula One drivers jockeyed for position in 2021, even though the spotlight almost always shone on Hamilton and Verstappen.
Those in the #2-seat won, too–Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, in Azerbaijan, and Valtteri Bottas won for Mercedes in Turkey. They weren’t alone. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon claimed the maiden Grand Prix in Hungary, and McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo won in Italy.
The 2021 season will also be known for the continuing response to COVID, with races in Singapore and Australia canceled. The good news is that there were replacement races, and–perhaps most importantly–fans were back in full force.
Now, with 2021 in the rearview mirror, 2022 looms but a few months ahead. New cars will be involved, too, which will make a significant difference in what we’ll see during the February testing period. Until, then ….
