Everything indicated that the last race of the year would be extremely exciting. However, very few expected that the championship of Formula 1 2021 would be decided on the very last lap of the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. In fact, the fight does not seem to be over. We are still waiting, despite ongoing celebrations.
While we are waiting to know more, you can find out more about the leading betting providers. Most of them offer bets on the motorsport par excellence, Formula 1.
How did we get to Abu Dhabi?
As per what we saw throughout the season, we knew that the last part would be quite close. But no one expected that the top title contenders would arrive with the same number of points.
Let’s start with Lewis Hamilton. The pilot took 8 victories in total throughout the season (Bahrain, Portugal, Spain, Great Britain, Russia, Sao Paulo, Qatar, Saudi Arabia). In the end, these brought him 369.5 points before the last race of the year.
For his part, Max Verstappen achieved 10 victories and was also the driver with the most podiums of the season – 18 (Emilia-Romagna, Monaco, France, Styria, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United States, Mexico, Abu Dhabi). Before the last grand prix, the Dutch driver also had 369.5 points.
This tie is nothing more than the numerical representation of how close both drivers were throughout the 2021 season, approaching on many occasions, even on the track where they drove wheel to wheel in the fight for the title.
The last race of the Formula 1 2021 season
Despite taking pole position the day before, Max Verstappen lost the race lead at the very start to Lewis (who started second). It was not difficult for the British driver to distance himself with his powerful engine, and the championship seemed doomed. Many laps and a pit stop later for each, Max managed to get closer thanks to the heroic work of his teammate ‘Checo’ Pérez, but this was not enough, and Lewis seemed to be taking the crown.
It wasn’t until lap 54 that the race took a complete turn. Williams Racing’s Nicolas Latifi crashed his car into one of the corners, bringing a Safety Car onto the track. It really seemed that it would end like this, since there were only four laps left and it took a while to get the car off the track. However, the decision of the race director was to take out the SC and have one last lap of the race.
This was where everything changed, because at the first opportunity, Max Verstappen went ahead and surpassed Hamilton, impressing everyone. They got wheel to wheel a little later again, but finally the Dutch driver managed to be the first to cross the checkered flag, crowning himself champion of the 2021 season; his first title.
The aftermath
Despite the celebrations, the competition appears to have no closure yet. The Mercedes team seems determined to appeal the decisions of the race director who gave the title to Max Verstappen, particularly the last word on the lapped cars and the exit of the SC.
The FIA has already dismissed the first complaints, but Lewis Hamilton’s team could take this to a higher level, which leaves us with some uncertainty. The truth is that in 2022, the excitement of the Grand Prix will return, and you cannot stop betting and winning. For this, we advise you to register with the best betting agent, BET-IBC.
