Who deserved the 2021 F1 championship?
Max Verstappen was recently crowned Formula One World Champion, and since then this story has dominated the news. On Sunday 12th December 2021, at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen narrowly beat Lewis Hamilton to victory, claiming his maiden title and becoming the first Dutch World Champion. At that year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, FIA race director Michael Masi incorrectly applied F1’s rulebook to force a restart on the final lap. Verstappen dramatically passed Hamilton on that lap to win the race and his first championship.It was a record-breaking season Hamilton become the first driver in F1 history to make it to a century of both pole positions (taking his 100th in Spain) and wins (claiming #100 in Russia) – with the Briton ending the season with 103 of both.
Why was the 2021 F1 season so controversial?
The dispute stemmed from race director Michael Masi’s decision to allow only a partial number of lapped cars to un-lap themselves before the restart, a move that was seen as inconsistent with usual race procedures and sparked debate over whether it was done to influence the outcome of the championship. Masi was removed after an FIA inquiry was launched into the final race of the season, where an incorrect application of the rules saw Max Verstappen win the world championship. Red Bull boss Christian Horner has said the decision to remove Michael Masi as Formula One race director last week was ‘harsh’.The season-finale did not disappoint, with Verstappen overtaking Hamilton on the final lap to snatch what would have been a record-breaking eighth title away from the Brit, but only after a contentious decision from FIA race director Michael Masi to restart the race a lap early following a safety car period, as well as .
Who deserved to win F1 2021?
Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing-Honda won the Drivers’ Championship for the first time in his career, having claimed 10 race wins across the season. Hamilton became the first driver to surpass 100 race wins and pole positions in 2021, ending runner-up to Max Verstappen amidst a disputed finish. Following winless campaigns in 2022 and 2023, he took his record-breaking ninth British Grand Prix victory in 2024, his twelfth and final season with Mercedes.