The 2021 season of Formula 1 was one of the most intense and competitive in recent memory, and it resulted in something that Grand Prix racing hadn’t seen in almost 50 years: Entering Sunday’s season finale, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were level on points as they competed for the world championship. It was the first time since 1974 that F1 had seen a title battle so evenly matched, and the way it ended was befitting of an entire season of thrills.
After Lewis Hamilton dominated the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the complexion of the race and the Formula 1 championship completely changed when Nicholas Latifi crashed to bring out the safety car. As Hamilton stayed out under the safety car period, Verstappen was brought in for four fresh tires, giving him fresh rubber for the ensuing restart.
Verstappen took full advantage of his fresher tires, taking the lead from Hamilton on the last lap and winning both the race and his first-ever F1 championship.
The 24-year old is now the first Dutch driver to win the F1 world championship, and he is also the first driver to win a championship for Red Bull since Sebastian Vettel in 2013.
“It’s unbelievable. I tried the whole race, I kept fighting, and then of course that opportunity on the last lap — It’s incredible,” Verstappen said post-race. “… To my team, I think they know I love them. And I hope we can do this for 10, 15 years together. There’s no reason to change, ever. I want to stay with them for the rest of my life. I hope they let me. But it’s insane. I’m so happy.”
Verstappen’s victory was not without controversy. Mercedes, Hamilton’s team, filed two protests after the race, one accusing Verstappen of illegally overtaking Hamilton before the safety car period was over and the other race stewards allowing five lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to overtake the safety car prior to the final restart. Both protests were dismissed by race officials, but Mercedes intends to appeal according to Autosport.
For his part, Hamilton — who was denied an eighth world championship that would have broken the tie he currently holds with Michael Schumacher — was gracious in defeat.
“Firstly, big congratulations to Max and to his team. But I’m so proud of my own team and we gave it absolutely everything,” Hamilton said. “I’ve felt great in the car the last couple of months. We’ll see what happens next year.”
The season-long battle between Verstappen and Hamilton will go down as one of the all-time greats in Formula 1, as the 2021 season saw the two combine to win 18 of the 22 races on the calendar.
