2021 was the year Max Verstappen rose up to the challenge to dethrone seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton. In his quest to find glory, Verstappen found himself to be a part of several controversial moments, including his famous victory (or pre-victory shall we say) celebration at the 2021 Styrian GP.
With F1 still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on the schedule, Austria once again saw itself hosting two back-to-back races. The first of the two, the Styrian GP, saw Max Verstappen dominate the race from start to finish. Verstappen in his Red Bull, finished 35 seconds ahead of championship rival Hamilton, and he decided to rub his superiority in Hamilton’s face.
When the chequered flag was approaching, Verstappen decided to slow down right before he crossed the finish line and perform some tyre burnouts. The FIA was not happy with Verstappen showing off and added a rule which said that ‘victory burnouts’ like the one Verstappen did, wouldn’t be tolerated.
If Verstappen hadn’t slowed down in front of the finish line, his advantage over Hamilton could have possibly increased by a few more seconds. The governing body of the sport stated that Verstappen slowing down on the finish line was ‘unsafe’ which is why they deemed it illegal.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s brilliant battle
The 2021 F1 season saw both Hamilton and Verstappen trade wins throughout the year. Mercedes was the dominant team between 2014 and 2020 but 2021 saw Red Bull catch up. Having a generational talent like Verstappen in their car helped them take the fight to Hamilton and Mercedes, and end their era in the sport.
Verstappen dominated the first half of the season, after which Hamilton began to catch up and close the gap. They kept exchanging wins throughout the season and entered the season finale level on points. The final race, however, turned out to be the most controversial outing in a season riddled with the same.
After a questionable decision-making fiasco by then-race director Michael Masi, Verstappen won his first world title. Hamilton and his fans were heartbroken by the result. However, for fans of the sport, it was one of the most memorable F1 campaigns of all time.
Hamilton’s demise following Verstappen battle
After 2021’s gut-wrenching loss, Hamilton disappeared from the public eye for well over a month. Despite retirement rumors coming up, the Briton resurfaced ahead of pre-season testing in 2022 and reiterated his desire to win his eighth world title.
Unfortunately for Hamilton, 2022 saw the start of a new era of F1 with widespread regulation changes. His team Mercedes, couldn’t cope well with them which meant that he went through the entire 2022 season without a single race win.
It seems as though the Silver Arrows’ poor mechanical package woes have continued into 2023 as the 38-year-old still searches for his win. The last race Hamilton won was in 2021, at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia.
