Russell's rain dance & Kimi's return to Ferrari - GP Blog's 2021 Alternate Season

Well it has been quite the half a season in Formula 1 with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton dueling for the title, a competitive midfield race and even Williams have secured a point. But what if this was in a completely different universe? One where things weren't quite as straightforward... Welcome to GP Blog's Alternate Season So Far! (We stress all scenarios and quotes are fictional and are in no way true)

Pre-season - Kimi's return to Ferrari

Formula 1's silly season is always fascinating and 2021 was no different.

Charles Leclerc fell out with Carlos Sainz during their first week working together after the Monegasque told his new teammate that he didn't like paella. Sainz didn't take this too well and an all out brawl at the Ferrari factory ensued, resulting in key information regarding their 2021 car being destroyed. The Scuderia were forced to scrap their 2021 car and forced to use their 2018 car after the FIA granted them special permission. Leclerc refused to apologise and was released by the team, paving the way for a return to Ferrari, for Kimi Raikkonen at the ripe old age of 41.

On his return to the team Kimi said: "I don't know what I'm doing here. I wanted to do remote control car racing but here I am... Again unfortunately." 

Leclerc wasn't away from the sport for long as he agreed a new deal to lead the GP Blog Racing team, on a pay as you race basis and he'd make a huge impact later in the year. The team were in their third season in the sport and until now had yet to make a big impression. Leclerc would partner Jenson Button, who replaced Dan Ticktum.

After Hamilton agreed a new deal at Meredes the stage was set for the 2021 Formula 1 season!

Russell's redemption in rainy Bahrain

Four months on from George Russell's misfortune in Bahrain during the Sakhir Grand Prix, he was the surprise pace setter in FP1 for the Bahrain Grand Prix before the Williams team decided they wouldn't contest the other two practice sessions, in order to hide what they had up their sleeve. It looked like the plan had backfired when he had an unremarkable qualifying session, ending up in 13th. Even his teammate Latifi qualified in 9th, a superb effort from the Canadian. However, when Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel were given grid penalties because the stewards  "felt like it"  he gained two places and this would prove crucial. 

With the top ten all on medium tyres, broadcasters and fans were baffled when Russell lined up on the grid on full wet tyres the only man to do so, his teammate Latifi was on softs. After two laps he found himself 19th, only avoiding bottom spot because Mazepin spun out at turn one. However, all of a sudden an absolute deluge of rain came down, no one had forecast it, except Russell. Several teams stayed out expecting it to be a bizarre shower, but by the time they realized it was to be taken seriously, it was too late. All the drivers had to pit, four of them spun out before they could and by the time all the damage was done, Russell had built up a lead of over a minute. 

He'd soar to victory by over a lap as the Williams vehicle proved to be superb in the rain, and he was joined on the podium by Mick Schumacher on his F1 debut and Sebastian Vettel. 

With Russell leading the championship, he was immediately promoted to Mercedes. However, he was later removed from the championship after he revealed in a post-race interview that he'd done a rain dance pre-race.

Red Bull's Monte Carlo mayhem

Red Bull headed into the Monaco Grand Prix in mixed form. Sergio Perez went into the race on the back of his and their first win of the season but Max Verstappen was out of sorts, having not finished on the podium all season. 

However, he arrived in Monaco in style, literally, rocking up to the paddock for FP1 in a full Gucci silk pyjama set before he set the track alight, topping all three practice sessions, a second faster than his nearest rival in each session. Qualifying was a formality, a Red Bull front row lockout with the Mercedes of Hamilton and Bottas, only managing to qualifying P5 and P7 respectively. 

Red Bull's fine qualifying performance was hit when Sergio Perez was found to be running a mixed tire set. He was disqualified from qualifying and ordered to start from the pit lane. However, when Perez refused to race he tried to watch the race from the Aston Martin garage, saying:  "I don't like it over there at Red Bull, I want to come home." Security escorted him out of the paddock and he was fined £100 by Red Bull but was never seen in the sport again, opting to compete in Alaskan husky racing.

Verstappen meanwhile was flying, leading by over a lap, until he tried to lap Jenson Button for a second time. He collided with the Brit heading into the tunnel, and the Red Bull man found himself perched in a rather unusual position against the wall. Either way his race was over, and Mercedes stormed home for a one-two, with Leclerc on the podium for GP Blog racing, recording his best result at his home race. 

After the race Helmut Marko came out and said: "Fine, I'll do it myself"  and confirmed he would take Perez's seat. Red Bull didn't allow this and Marko never raced for Red Bull, instead Dan Ticktum made a surprise return.

A change of plan - Swim, drive and run

With the planned sprint race coming up, Liberty Media and Chase Carey's moustache fancied changing the sport up even more in order to 'attract a new kind of audience'. Their latest great, magnificent, revolutionary idea was to turn the F1 weekend into a triathlon. They labelled it the 'F1 Tri' and it entailed a 5km swim, a 50 lap race, before the drivers ran two laps of the circuit. The Spanish Grand Prix was selected as the venue for the triathlon in order to improve the Circuit de Catalunya's reputation.

A 50 metre swimming pool was placed in the paddock and Formula 1 was set for its first ever 'F1 Tri'. 

Verstappen got away well in the swim, completing the 5km first, but not before he decided to push Lance Stroll back into the pool as he was getting out. Hamilton and Bottas were shortly behind the Dutchman and indeed caught the Red Bull on the driving section of the race. The trio reached the transition section of the race side by side, but out of nowhere the GP Blog racing car of Leclerc arrived, and they became a quartet for the running section. Before Verstappen set off, he threw Bottas' shoes into swimming pool virtually ruling the Finn out of contention, only for the Dutchman to fall over his lace which he forgot to do up and grazed his knee. That made it a sprint to the line between Hamilton and Leclerc, and the Monegasque pipped the great Brit on the line to become F1's first ever 'F1 Tri' champion.

The 'F1 Tri' was never seen in Formula 1 again, and Leclerc remains the sub-category's only champion.

Well that's the first half of the season according to GP Blog. Formula 1 has been exciting but imagine if it was like this? Absolute chaos. Let us know what happens in your alternate universe in the comments.