Prost-Senna, Lauda-Hunt, Villeneuve-Schumacher… Formula 1 has been built on historic rivalries. In recent seasons, a new duel has been budding, and 2021 is the year of its blossoming into a fantastic spectacle. Between Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), the fight for the title of world champion is made up of fierce brawls in races, outings on and off the track. We take a look back at an increasingly intense and fiery duel in five acts, before the final meeting in Abu Dhabi on Sunday for the last Grand Prix of the season.
British Grand Prix: first crash and new dimension
Facts : Max Verstappen arrives at Lewis Hamilton as the fit man and the championship leader. The two men share the first row at the start, like the day before in the first sprint race in history. As the day before, the fight rages on in the curves of Silverstone. This time, the Briton is not giving up. But by dint of bickering, the two pilots end up hanging on in the turn of Copse, at nearly 300 km / h. The Red Bull driver is ejected into the gravel trap for a shock at 51G, and a forced visit to the hospital, without consequence. Hamilton, him, remains in the race and receives a penalty of 10 seconds which will not ultimately deprive him of the victory.
The declared : “I always try to measure how ready I am, especially when I fight with Max. I’m not going to let my guard down in front of any pilot.“Lewis Hamilton
Italian Grand Prix: leapfrog game
Facts : in Monza’s temple of speed, the crash of the year takes place at the slowest spot on the track. Max Verstappen and then Lewis Hamilton lost time during their first pit stops. When the Briton regains the track, the Batave arrives at his height and attacks him from the first chicane. Starting from afar in his maneuver, Verstappen forces the passage, while Hamilton defends inside. The Dutchman completed his overtaking on the front of the Mercedes, the right rear wheel on the halo protecting Lewis Hamilton’s helmet. A drama may be avoided, but the two protagonists end there in Monza. The commedia dell’arte turns to dangerous escalation.
The declared: “I called him just to find out if he was okay, and to let him know there was still respect. Obviously, it might not have been reciprocal but that’s fine with me.“Max Verstappen
São Paulo Grand Prix: battle of jurists for a fantastic ride
Facts : this time it is in the commissaires’ offices that the championship is contested. Lewis Hamilton flew over qualifying, but his rear wing was deemed non-compliant. The Briton is penalized, sent to the back of the grid for the sprint race. Max Verstappen was fined heavily for touching this fin after the session. Starting 20th, Hamilton moved up to fifth place in 24 laps. He repeated his feat in the race on Sunday, winning the Grand Prix after starting from 10th place following a new penalty. After losing the legal battle, he wins the war on the track. After a first attempt aborted by the muscular defense of the Dutchman, Hamilton dropped him off in the 59th lap.
The declared: “Brilliant work Lewis! Damage limitation. We fuck them all!Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after the sprint race.
Qatar Grand Prix: Verstappen penalized in turn, Hamilton takes advantage
Facts : Max Verstappen is still leading the championship, but Mercedes now has the wind in their backs. And the game of penalties turns this time against Red Bull. For not having respected the yellow flags in qualifying, Verstappen was summoned by the marshals. The discussions are endless, and the Dutchman inherits a penalty of five places on the grid, barely an hour before the start. He managed to move up from 7th to 2nd place at the finish. But Lewis Hamilton wins comfortably, while his rival accuses the blow, two races to go.
The declared: “We went from Olympic boxing to pro boxing, then to MMA, but that’s fine with us, we’re in the ring. Nudges are allowed by regulation and gloves are removed. We don’t expect anything else.“Toto Wolff, boss of Mercedes
Max Verstappen has been handed a five-place grid penalty
Received for not respecting double waved yellows#QatarGP # F1 pic.twitter.com/sqq049oPey
– Formula 1 (@ F1) November 21, 2021
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: a war of nerves and Hamilton emerges from chaos
Facts : two red flags, three starts and incidents in shovel. This first in Jeddah is memorable. Especially for his fight up front. Max Verstappen irregularly takes the lead on lap 18 and avoids a heavy penalty against a demotion negotiated by the race director. The Dutchman recovered from the restart, but Hamilton did not give up. On lap 37, the Dutchman kept the lead by pushing the duo out at the second corner. He was told to return the position but the incomprehension between the two pilots ended in a collision, without too much damage. Hamilton ends up passing and wins in front of the Batavian – who receives a 15-second penalty – after an unprecedented clash. Before the outcome in Abu Dabi next Sunday, Verstappen and Hamilton are tied in the championship: unheard of since 1974.
The declared: “I’ve raced a lot of riders in my life in 28 years, and I’ve faced different personalities, but there are some at the top that go beyond the limits.“Lewis Hamilton