2021 has been full of drama and excitement as we hit the half way point of the season. So here’s three reasons in three minutes why this has been the best season so far, in recent memory.
A real title battle
For years Formula 1 has been crying out for a competitive title race between two teams. Not since Alonso and Vettel went at it have we truly had two teams going at toe to toe for the title. Until now, right from the first race Red Bull and Mercedes have fiercly contested the Drivers’ and Constructors Championship and in particular Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s duals have been electric. We started off in Bahrain where Red Bull looked the team to beat, but as he has done so often before Hamilton pulled it out the bag. Despite Qualifying on pole it looked as if Verstappen would win when he overtook in the last few laps. However, his overtake was deemed illegal and Hamilton took back the place and held on. The overtake also raised the tensions between the two teams. Onto Imola where Max Verstappen fought back and then you had the stunning races at the normally boring Circuit De Catalunya and Paul Ricard where split strategies made for great drama. And then what do we say about the two races before the summer break… Pure drama and not only is it becoming a great rivalry on the track it’s bubbling nicely off it as well. Great racing, between great rivals, it has set up a brilliant title battle in the second half of the season.
A competitive field
In recent years because Mercedes have been so dominant Formula 1 has been seen as boring, one sided and not particularly interesting at times. However, this year has been anything but that. Most notably Red bull have closed the gap, McLaren have progressed further after two brilliant back to back seasons, Ferrari are looking something like their old selves and then you’ve got the likes of Aston Martin who with a rejuvenated Sebastian Vettel look a competitive force. Although Haas, Alfa Romeo and Williams still lack a bit they’re competive on their day. The first sign we got of this was in Imola when Lando Norris got on the podium and had a great dual with Hamilton, in Monaco Carlos Sainz showed what he’s capable of at Ferrari, Vettel picking up a podium in Baku, and then there’s Esteban Ocon’s stunning win in Hungary. Oh and who could forget Williams securing their first points since 2018. A more competitive field has meant we are seeing more variation on the podium and more drama and who doesn’t love a bit of drama.
Plenty of drama
If you know me you’ll know I love drama, and this season so far it has had it in bucket loads. From dramatic races to to surprise winners and last lap action, 2021 has picked up where 2020 left off. In Bahrain we had a great race for the win, at Imola there was Bottas and Russell crashing into each other, Monaco was remarkable with Leclerc qualifying on pole before he didn’t even get start the race. The incredible drama in Baku with tyre blowouts and Perez’s first red bull victory preceeded. We’ve had top quality emphatic performances which although don’t always make for great racing, you can’t help but sit back and applaud, think Red Bull’s domination in Austria. And then of course there was Esteban Ocon’s win in Hungary, a quite frankly bonkers race that really did have a bit of everything.
Whether you want a close title race or you’re like me and love the chaos like Hungary provided, so far this season has had it all and lets hope for some more great action in the second half of the season.