Will 36-year-old Mercedes driver Hamilton overtake Schumacher to achieve the "Eight Crowns", or will 24-year-old Red Bull driver Verstappen win the title for the first time and usher in a new era? There are only these two answers to choose from, but the solution process is beyond almost anyone's imagination.
Hamilton and Verstappen took the same points to the 2021 F1 finale, the first time since 1974 that the top two drivers were on the same page in the final game of the year. The most dramatic season of nearly half a century awaits a showdown that will go down in history.
The Battle of Yas Marina Abu Dhabi was full of unpredictable twists and turns, and even the most daring screenwriter could not have imagined a plot that turned out to be a reality, and finally a safety car caused by an accident appeared, rewriting the whole ending - Verstappen came on the last lap to reverse the championship, winning the Abu Dhabi championship and winning the drivers' championship of the year, while Hamilton missed the best opportunity to reach the top.
The safety car incident rewrites the finale
In qualifying in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen took pole position and it looked like Hamilton had few chances. In the words of Mercedes team manager Wolff: "In the championship race, our loss of pole position means that Red Bull Racing has taken a 1-0 lead. But as soon as the race started, Red Bull's "score advantage" disappeared, verstappen started like a young child, hamilton instantly grabbed the lead.
For most of that time, Hamilton showed his super ability to match Schumacher in terms of championship numbers. The British star defused the blocking of another Red Bull driver, Perez, blocked several overtaking challenges launched by Verstappen, and later in the race, had maintained the lead for a long time around 11 seconds, and if all went well, the eighth title would be his.
But it happened unexpectedly. On lap 53, Williams driver Latifi rushed off the track in an accident and a safety car was dispatched at the race. The responsive Verstappen immediately opted for a pit stop and replaced it with a softer tyre that was more aggressive, while Hamilton, who was still using a hard tyre, was unable to enter the station because he missed the pit stop. With only 5 laps left until the end of the race, this detail may not be enough to change the outcome, as most people think that the safety car will take the whole race with them.
A second accident happened. On the last lap, the race announces the end of the safety car and resumes racing. By this time Hamilton was on the move, and his hard tyres were far less than Verstappen's soft tyres in terms of speed, not to mention the grip further due to the use of twenty or thirty laps more. Unable to withstand Verstappen's full onslaught, the Briton finally lost the lead and missed the perfect opportunity to overtake Schumacher as the "Eight Champions".
It's a game that's destined to be full of controversy. The FIA's decision to resume the race on the final lap directly rewrites the outcome of the entire race, the entire season, and even the history of F1, which is already to be refreshed, can only wait quietly for the coming year. But will Hamilton still have a chance next year? He will be a year older and his Mercedes team's advantage has been further reduced, and although it has achieved an eight-game championship of constructors, it is only 28 points ahead of Red Bull Racing.
The conflict plot blends throughout the season
On the podium, Hamilton and Verstappen hugged and greeted each other, and both praised each other at the press conference. But this courtesy on the scene will not make people forget the sparks they have repeatedly rubbed throughout the 2021 season.
On July 18, at Silverstone, England, Hamilton "knocked away" the pole starting point on the first lap, and still won the championship after being fined 10 seconds. While At the hospital, Verstappen, watching his opponent celebrate, lashed out at his opponent in the media, saying Hamilton was "unworthy of respect" and "unsportsmanlike". But Hamilton insisted he didn't even know Verstappen was in the hospital.
On September 12, at the Monza circuit in Italy, more serious accidents occurred. On lap 26, Verstappen, who was slightly behind Hamilton, tried to overtake in the deceleration bend, and the two cars collided, and the rear of the Red Bull car was directly on the roof of Hamilton's car, rushing into the gravel area together. The crash caused both title contenders to retire, giving the title runners-up to McLaren.
In the penultimate Saudi Grand Prix, starting on lap 37, Red Bull Racing instructed Verstappen to make a "tactical" concession, when he suddenly slowed down during Turn 27, and a brake caught Hamilton off guard, hitting the rear of the Red Bull car and partially dropping the front wing of his car on the track. Verstappen's act resulted in a 5-second penalty on the spot, and Hamilton was able to reverse the title and thus have the final battle of the same point final.
After the race, Hamilton told the media bluntly, "I've been racing with a lot of drivers for 28 years, and I've met a lot of different people, and a couple of guys have exceeded the cap. The rules don't apply to them, or they don't consider the rules at all. Max certainly exceeded the cap. I have avoided conflict with him on many occasions. ”
And yesterday, of course, was indispensable to rub. Verstappen, who accidentally lost pole position, took the center of the corner at Turn 6 in the first lap and watched overtake Hamilton in sight, but the Briton insisted on giving up the position, causing the two cars to collide, and then Hamilton cut in from outside the track and still took the lead. The referee did not impose a penalty on the "accident", which also made Verstappen very dissatisfied, complaining repeatedly on the walkie-talkie. Of course, compared to the safety car incident, this collision is already insignificant.
This blends the plot of the battle throughout the year and the final outcome in an unexpected way, and the real winner is only the FIA – F1 needs stars, but also needs conflict, so as to attract more attention.
(Photo/Visual China)
Author: Wu Shu
Edit: Gu Miao