Note: After staff had finished for the weekend, the 2021 Italian Grand Prix saw a particularly notable incident between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Despite the near-certain infamy of the event, this article will not cover any developments which occurred after Formula 1’s summer break. The stewards found Max Verstappen to blame, and we’re dearly appreciative of the halo which kept Lewis Hamilton safe from potentially serious harm.

     Despite being only halfway through this 2021 Formula 1 Season, it has already been one of the most gripping and unexpected seasons in recent history. 2021 was expected to be the start of a new era for Formula 1. A completely new car design and a new set of regulations were set to be introduced this year to make the teams closer together in performance and to make it easier for cars to follow each other on track, thus making the racing entertaining and exciting for the fans. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Formula 1 decided to postpone the introduction of these regulations until 2022. Still, this Formula 1 season was hyped up as the best season since the Rosberg vs. Hamilton title race in 2016. That’s because the Dutch phenom, Max Verstappen, was finally in a Red Bull car worthy of challenging 7-time champions Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team, who have won every Constructor’s Championship since 2014. 

     Everyone knew that this was set to be the battle for the championship heading into pre-season testing at Bahrain International Circuit (Sakhir, Bahrain). It seemed Red Bull had the advantage after 3 days of testing in the desert. Verstappen was the fastest driver on both of the days he drove and completed a high number of laps, especially compared to Valterri Bottas and Hamilton in Mercedes. Both experienced gearbox problems early on, but those problems were resolved by the end of the test. However, the Mercedes pace still seemed a little off that of Red Bull even after their issues had been fixed. So heading into the first race of the season, at the same circuit they tested on, the battle for world champion was beautifully poised with Verstappen looking the faster driver, but with Hamilton having the experience of winning 7 previous titles. 

The Battle Begins

     Lewis Hamilton got off to a great start in his quest for a record-breaking eighth world championship, winning the Bahrain GP, but it didn’t come without its controversy. With just FOUR laps to go, Verstappen had caught up to Lewis Hamilton and it was looking likely he would pass him. When Verstappen did overtake Hamilton, he did so by going off the track, usually meaning he would have to give Hamilton that position back. Many people thought Hamilton forced Verstappen off the track, meaning Verstappen could have the position, and then it would be up to the stewards to decide what happened.  But Red Bull instead instructed Verstappen to let Lewis by, in the hope Verstappen would be able to overtake Hamilton fairly in the next 4 laps. Because Red Bull gave the place back, the stewards saw no reason to look at the incident and Hamilton eventually won the race.

     The second race of the season at Imola (San Marino) for the Emilia Romagna GP proved to be just as, or even more exciting than the race in Bahrain with the added challenge of rain for the drivers. Verstappen and Hamilton clashed on the opening lap with Verstappen getting past Hamilton. Verstappen stayed there to win the race, but Hamilton went off the track towards the end of the race, causing him to drop down a few positions. Luckily, he was able to recover and still finish in second, meaning the two were just separated by 1 point after two races. 

     Hamilton started to build a lead in the championship, winning back-to-back races in Portugal and Barcelona. He easily passed Verstappen on his way to victory in Portugal, but the Spanish GP was a much closer battle. Hamilton decided to stop for fresher tires towards the end of the race, meaning he would lose time to Verstappen ahead of him. However, he would be much faster than Verstappen, whose tires would be laps older than Hamilton’s. This strategy worked brilliantly for the Mercedes driver, and Hamilton passed Verstappen with just six laps to go, taking the lead in the championship. However, that would be Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton’s last win for five races. [Photo of Lewis on Spain podium]

Red Bull Dominance

     Verstappen started a run of 5 Red Bull wins by dominating the historic Monaco GP, getting past Lewis Hamilton to go top of the championship. But the fortunes for Verstappen turned at the next race, another road circuit, in Baku, Azerbaijan. While Verstappen was leading the race, a tire on his car blew, causing a very serious crash for the driver and his car. 

     On the restart, Hamilton missed the first corner meaning he dropped down to last place leaving Sergio (Checo) Perez, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, in the lead of the Grand Prix. Perez would go on to win and Verstappen’s lead in the driver’s championship remained the same while Red Bull was able to gain on Mercedes in the Constructor’s. 

     The next race saw Hamilton pass Verstappen at the start of the Grand Prix, however, Verstappen closed on Hamilton very quickly at the end of the race. Perez let Verstappen past him as he was much quicker, and this resulted in Verstappen passing Hamilton with just a lap and a half to go, and allowed Verstappen to grow his lead over Hamilton in the championship. Things were looking even better for Red Bull, too, as the next two races were both at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. 

     Things went perfectly for Verstappen and Red Bull as he won both races in Austria, and further extended his championship lead as Hamilton only managed fourth in the second race. It seemed that after nine races, and with just two left before the summer break, Verstappen and Red Bull would go into that break with the lead in both championships. However, the best battles between Red Bull and Mercedes were yet to come, even with the thrilling late passes by the two in Bahrain, France, and Spain.

Mercedes Hit Back (Literally)

     Lewis Hamilton was looking to close the gap on Verstappen, and the perfect race to do it was next, the British GP at the historic Silverstone Circuit. Off the start, the two followed each other side by side. Verstappen edged ahead before Hamilton came back, looking to go up the inside at the very fast Copse corner. They went side by side in the corner, and the two touched, with Verstappen going off into the dirt and hitting the wall very hard. Hamilton got through unscathed, only falling back to second place. Hamilton eventually won the race, but it seemed to not be over yet. Red Bull appealed the stewards’ decision to give Hamilton just a penalty for the collision. They said because he still managed to win the race, the penalty wasn’t sufficient enough. The stewards stuck with their decision, but Red Bull still felt Hamilton deserved to pay for the collision and his actions after the race. He was wildly celebrating with his British fans while Verstappen was in the hospital, and Max and Red Bull both expressed their feelings about Lewis’ behavior very openly. 

      The final race before the summer break, the Hungarian GP, proved to be the most exciting so far. Again, the race started wet, and the drivers experienced those tough conditions heading into the first corner. Both Red Bulls experienced damage at the first corner, with Perez forced to retire, but not because of Lewis Hamilton, who escaped the carnage as he was in the lead, but rather from Valterri Bottas, Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate. Bottas misjudged his braking into the first corner, hitting the McLaren of Lando Norris in front of him creating a domino effect that eventually claimed five drivers. When the race was set to restart, the rain had dried out and all but one car went into the pits, Lewis Hamilton. Meaning, Hamilton was the only car on the grid when the 5 lights went out. It proved to be a horrible strategy as he fell way down the order. This left Alpine driver Esteban Ocon in first place with 4-time world champion Sebastian Vettel in his Aston Martin right behind. Hamilton managed to claw back up to third place, but Ocon held off Vettel and won his first Formula 1 race. Vettel was disqualified from P2 after the race for using too much fuel, meaning Lewis Hamilton was promoted to second, making his lead over Verstappen 8 points. 

     This 2021 Formula 1 season has already taken many unexpected turns, both on the track and off, and we’re only halfway through. The second half of the season should be even more exciting and unpredictable because of COVID and the effects it has on the race calendar, the drivers, and teams. But what fans are most excited for in this backstretch of the season, is a true, fiercely contested, battle for the drivers and Constructor’s Championship. So, as David Croft, the lead commentator for Sky Sports Formula 1, says, “It’s Lights Out and Away We Go” on what promises to be a memorable last twelve races of the season.