Such a thrilling conclusion to the 2021 Formula 1 season is something no one could even imagine! Likewise, we were caught up in a wave of emotion and fell into a vortex of rush. It took us a while to come to our senses after being confused by everything that was going on at the final race 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The epic story of the battle for the Formula 1 championship between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen ended in Max’s favor. Let’s take a deep breath and put everything in order.
The final race at Abu Dhabi GP 2021 deservedly became one of the most thrilling F1 races of the past decades, while the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at Yas Marina is still taking the top five controversies in Formula 1.
How did Mercedes’ advantage turn into desperation at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021?
F1 final race 2021: Mercedes’ plan for Saturday.
Which car has the fastest average speed compared to Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes? The simple answer is no one. The Yas Marina Circuit is traditionally a track that suits Mercedes better, even with the latest track updates. Lewis Hamilton’s average speed on Friday and during Sunday’s race provided a clear picture of how fast he is.
Only qualifying on Saturday changed the cold statistics. However, it was more of a tactical game than anything else.
After Saturday’s qualifying session, the big question was, “If Mercedes cars were so fast, why didn’t they win the pole in Abu Dhabi?” Actually, Lewis Hamilton conceded to Max Verstappen for having the advantage with long-distance tires.
So the Red Bull driver showed the fastest time on soft tires, but Lewis Hamilton was preparing to start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 second on medium tires. That’s how the plan should work.
Charged like a rocket, Lewis Hamilton raced away from Max Verstappen from the second lap and had improved the pace from lap to lap. His medium simply worked according to Mercedes’ plan. Tires allowed Hamilton to pull away with an advantage for the upcoming pit stop.
Final F1 race – the roaring finish of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021!
There was nothing to stop Mercedes from celebrating almost two titles at the weekend. F1 fans were expecting that Lewis Hamilton would win the eighth title, while Mercedes would take the olympus of Formula 1’s constructors’ championship. The first part of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 was therefore tense, but still predictable. However Antonio Giovinazzi stopped the car on lap 35 due to gearbox problems in the safety zone.
FIA F1 Race Direction announced the virtual safety car mode.
But when Nicholas Latifi crashed after a scrap with the Haas of Mick Schumacher, a safety car appeared at the Yas Marina Circuit on lap 50 of 58.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez changed tires for the new soft. Lewis Hamilton stayed on his hard to save the lead.
In a few moments, it gathered all F1 cars together and destroyed all the advantage Lewis Hamilton had accumulated due to strategy. As a result, the situation was frantic and confusing. Better to say that millions of F1 fans across the world were in the dark about what was happening next. People caught their breath. There was still a distance of more than five laps to the finish.
On lap 56, Michael Masi claimed a restart.
He informed the lapped drivers between Hamilton and Verstappen that they could overtake the leader and the safety car on the same lap. The case was about drivers between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen only, while the other lapped drivers didn’t get the same instructions despite the FIA regulations.
Toto Wolff could not allow it and politely asked Michael Masi not to interfere with the battle.
The final lap of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021
That is what happened on the last 1.5 laps of the 2021 Formula 1 season.
After the resatert, Max Verstappen used fresh tyres to overtake Hamilton.
What did Michael Masi say to Toto Wolff?
“No, no Michael – that was soo not right,” replied Wolff. Masi’s condescending response did little to ease the tension.
“It’s called a motor race,” noted Masi.
Hamilton had been trying to reclaim coveted first place for a few more turns, but failed. Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 and became the youngest ever Formula 1 world champion.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021’s bitter aftertaste or Mercedes’ protest.
Taken aback by Red Bull’s sudden dominance, Mercedes had to protest and make demands on the regulations. They were partly right, since the confusion that carried on from race to race in the season finale was definitely not acceptable. Another example was the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah.
The FIA dismissed Mercedes’ protest. Max Verstappen became the official winner of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 and the new youngest champion in the history of Formula 1.
How did Max Verstappen take the bull by the horns?
F1 title contender Max Verstappen did not begin with high expectations. It seemed that the guys from Red Bull were here to do their very best to finish up the 2021 Formula 1 season. Victory in qualifying in Abu Dhabi was a stellar start, but it was clear – soft tires would give way before the finish. A small hope remained.
Max Verstappen was one of the first to open the pits’ wave as it was necessary to keep up with Mercedes, but he still fought like a lion. Despite Mercedes’ speed advantage, Red Bull’s leader remained calm and did not make mistakes.
Dutch F1 driver is encouraged by the advent of virtual safety mode. In the meantime, the safety car after Nicholas Latifi’s accident brought the title closer to becoming a reality. Max Verstappen entered the new reality with the chequered flag finish of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021 on lap 58.
Instead of an afterword
After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen became Formula One World Champion and Mercedes won the constructors’ championship.
In Red Bull’s they took the first step towards overcoming Mercedes’ dominance.
In spite of this, the Abu Dhabi Brand Prix 2021 will live long in the memory of both F1 fans and the FIA race director. There should not be any room for persuasion between teams or race directors. Rivalry and competition between Mercedes and Red Bull had become an unacceptable public strategy game.
On the other hand, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix also entered history as Lewis Hamilton’s dominance ended for the first time in four years. Nico Rosberg took the title in 2016.
Despite criticism from experts and journalists, Formula 1 achieved almost the impossible . They attracted the attention of the whole world. Max Verstappen became the main hero, eclipsing not only third placed Carlos Sainz, but also Lewis Hamilton at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021.
All of the world appeared to stop their business to watch the Formula 1 race at Yas Marina. Even athletes from different sports and even those who were never F1 fans watched the replays. In some ways, that was a monumental achievement in the true sense of the word.
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