2021 F1 Season
22 races · Red Bull RB16B
The 2021 season is, for many, the most thrilling and agonising of recent decades. At last a rival emerged capable of taking on Hamilton's Mercedes: Max Verstappen and a competitive Red Bull. The duel ran, point by point, across the twenty-two races of the year.
It was a no-holds-barred battle, complete with on-track collisions (Silverstone, Monza) two opposing driving philosophies and mounting tension between the two teams. Both arrived level on points at the final round, unheard of in modern history.
The finale in Abu Dhabi was the most controversial in memory: after a late safety car, race director Michael Masi applied the rules in a disputed manner and allowed Verstappen, on fresh tyres, to pass Hamilton on the last lap and snatch the title. An ending that changed the regulations and marked a turning point.
Drivers' Champion
Max Verstappen
Red Bull RB16B
Constructors' Champion
Mercedes
22 races
Ver en españolKey moment
"Abu Dhabi final lap: Masi allows lapped cars to overtake. Verstappen passes Hamilton. Champion."
The 2021 grid, car by car
The 10 teams that raced in 2021, ordered by how good we rate the car. It is our own judgement, not an official figure: what it is worth is that the same yardstick is applied to every season since 1988, so you can compare eras.
| # | Team | Our rating | Drivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Bull | 98 | Max Verstappen · Sergio Perez |
| 2 | Mercedes | 97 | Lewis Hamilton · Valtteri Bottas |
| 3 | McLaren | 87 | Lando Norris · Daniel Ricciardo |
| 4 | Ferrari | 85 | Charles Leclerc · Carlos Sainz |
| 5 | Alpine | 80 | Fernando Alonso · Esteban Ocon |
| 6 | AlphaTauri | 78 | Pierre Gasly · Yuki Tsunoda |
| 7 | Aston Martin | 76 | Sebastian Vettel · Lance Stroll |
| 8 | Williams | 70 | George Russell · Nicholas Latifi |
| 9 | Alfa Romeo | 68 | Kimi Räikkönen · Antonio Giovinazzi |
| 10 | Haas | 61 | Mick Schumacher · Nikita Mazepin |
How 2021 actually ended
The official final standings, from Bahrain Grand Prix to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This is the real result, not the simulation above.
| Driver | Points | Wins | Podiums | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Max VerstappenRed Bull | 395.5 | 10 | 18 | 10 |
| 2Lewis HamiltonMercedes | 387.5 | 8 | 17 | 5 |
| 3Valtteri BottasMercedes | 226 | 1 | 11 | 4 |
| 4Sergio PérezRed Bull | 190 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 5Carlos SainzFerrari | 164.5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 6Lando NorrisMcLaren | 160 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 7Charles LeclercFerrari | 159 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 8Daniel RicciardoMcLaren | 115 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
It came down to 8 points: Verstappen and Hamilton finished closer than a fourth place is worth. 6 different drivers won that year, and the final Grand Prix went to Max Verstappen.
Official FIA standings via Jolpica (formerly Ergast).
What if 2021 had been raced 100 times?
We took the real 2021 grid (every car with its performance and reliability, every driver with his rating) and re-ran the full 22-race championship 100 times.
| Driver | Avg. finish | Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappenreal championRed Bull | P1.2 | 78% |
| Lewis HamiltonMercedes | P1.8 | 22% |
| Valtteri BottasMercedes | P3.4 | 0% |
| Sergio PerezRed Bull | P3.6 | 0% |
| Lando NorrisMcLaren | P5.1 | 0% |
| Charles LeclercFerrari | P6.2 | 0% |
Max Verstappen takes the title 78% of the time: one in every 5 simulated championships goes to somebody else, almost always Lewis Hamilton. It was not a dominated year, it was a won one.
Tags
What if Senna, Hamilton or Alonso had driven the 2021 championship-winning car?
Hypotheses from 2021
Hypotheses from other seasons
Drivers of 2021
Keep reading
What we have measured about 2021 and about what decided it, with our own numbers.
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