It has been one of the vital outstanding F1 seasons ever. The most effective title battles of all time got here all the way down to the ultimate lap of the ultimate race — and never with out monumental controversy.
Over such an extended season, which featured six totally different drivers and 4 totally different groups claiming a race victory, it was a yr of massive breakouts throughout the grid.
Whereas followers are nonetheless debating whether or not Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton deserved the 2021 crown extra, there have been a lot of drivers behind the championship struggle who had standout campaigns.
This is our prime 10 for the season.
How do you break up the 2 finest drivers on the planet? Even a season of twenty-two races did not supply a passable or definitive reply to that query, so selecting Verstappen over Hamilton as ESPN’s finest driver of 2021 is prone to upset (and maybe even enrage) some readers.
However there are a few key causes. When the extent is as excessive because it was between Verstappen and Hamilton this yr, small errors carry extra weight and consistency turns into every thing. Eradicating Verstappen’s retirements from the outcomes (and the Hungarian Grand Prix by which Verstappen was taken out of rivalry by an incident triggered by Valtteri Bottas initially) he by no means completed exterior the highest two. That features the Russian Grand Prix the place he had a grid penalty for an engine change (caused by his collision with Hamilton at Silverstone) and the ultimate 4 races of the season the place Mercedes had a automobile able to taking one-two victories.
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What’s extra, due to his dash race factors in Nice Britain and Italy, he scored factors at each spherical bar the Azerbaijan Grand Prix the place a tyre failure took him out of the lead of the race with a handful of laps remaining.
You may argue he was too aggressive at occasions, however that aggression additionally noticed him pull off a few of the most spectacular overtakes of the yr, together with his lap one transfer across the exterior of each Mercedes in Mexico and his go on each Hamilton and Esteban Ocon in Saudi Arabia.
It is true that the circumstances by which he gained the title had been onerous to simply accept, however none of what occurred in Abu Dhabi was Verstappen’s fault. As a substitute, he made positive he was within the operating all through the ultimate race (as he had been all through the season) to be ready to capitalise on one final twist within the story. That’s the hallmark of a real world champion.
In fact, an equally robust case may be made for Hamilton to prime this checklist. Over the steadiness of the races, Verstappen’s Purple Bull seemed to be the sooner automobile, but Hamilton floor out sufficient outcomes that he would have been topped champion had the top of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix been dealt with accurately.
However whereas Verstappen by no means had an off race in 2021, Hamilton had the Monaco Grand Prix. It appears unfair to give attention to one single low level in a outstanding yr, however it is just as a result of the usual between the highest two was so excessive that Monaco stands out as a justification for placing Hamilton second.
Hamilton certified and completed seventh on the avenue race on a weekend when his teammate Valtteri Bottas certified third and was on course for a podium earlier than an issue at his pit cease pressured him to retire. The automobile clearly wasn’t suited to the circuit, but it surely was the one time within the yr when Hamilton appeared decidedly common in comparison with the remainder of the sphere.
But for the 21 different races, Hamilton was both on or sometimes above Verstappen’s stage as the most effective driver in F1. His performances towards the top of the yr had been on a outstanding stage, and arguably one which now we have not seen from Hamilton earlier than. His victory in Brazil stands out as the most effective efficiency by any driver at any race this season, and had the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix been run to the rulebook, it will have marked the beginning of a outstanding comeback to win the title.
It is usually onerous to guage the efficiency of drivers in backmarker groups, however Russell made it comparatively simple in 2021 with a collection of standout performances.
The 2 headline outcomes had been his qualifying performances in Belgium (second place) and Russia (third place). As a result of the race at Spa-Francorchamps was rained off, his qualifying outcome transformed right into a outstanding podium end, which can not have been earned the normal approach however was no much less deserved.
Rain is usually thought-about the good leveller in F1, and undoubtedly Russell wouldn’t have been that top up the grid within the dry. However in case you think about the place Russell would have been in a automobile with extra downforce, it is not absurd to recommend he may need certified a second down the street from Verstappen and Hamilton. His efficiency in Russia was additionally spectacular in tough situations, underlining that Spa wasn’t a fluke and that Russell can lay declare to being one in all F1’s quickest drivers over a single lap.
Even so, it will nonetheless be a stretch to place Russell so excessive on this checklist on the idea of two performances in moist situations. Luckily, the overwhelming majority of his qualifying performances over the yr underline his brilliance in 2021.
Regardless of having the second slowest automobile in F1 at his disposal, Russell was solely knocked out in Q1 on three events (not counting Austin the place a grid penalty meant he opted to not compete) over 22 races. He persistently outperformed his automobile on Saturdays in a approach that solely the highest two drivers on this checklist might hope to match.
In races it was at all times going to be more durable to take care of that stage of efficiency, however he nonetheless completed within the prime 14 most of the time and, driving for a staff that had scored only one level prior to now two years, he notched up 16 factors with 4 separate finishes within the prime ten.
On the idea of his performances at Williams, his arrival at Mercedes subsequent yr ought to see him be a part of the highest two on this checklist within the struggle for the title assuming the automobile is aggressive sufficient.
It is at all times vital to not be led by recency bias when reviewing the season, and that is why Norris’ lack of factors towards the top of the season should not eclipse his outstanding begin to the yr.
Up till the Hungarian Grand Prix the place he was taken out by Bottas initially whereas preventing for fourth place, he had completed within the prime 5 positions in any respect bar one of many earlier 10 races. When you think about that Mercedes and Purple Bull had the efficiency to fill the highest 4 positions in any respect of these rounds, that’s vastly spectacular.
By the top of the yr he completed in sixth place behind Carlos Sainz within the standings, however that solely tells a small a part of the story of his season. His peak performances had been approach increased and on a lot of events he missed out on factors by pushing proper to the sting, equivalent to his qualifying crash within the moist at Spa-Francorchamps.
One other apparent instance was the Russian Grand Prix, which he would have gained had McLaren correctly communicated the specter of rain to Norris on the finish of the race. In Hungary he would even have been on for an excellent outcome had he not been taken out by Bottas, in Brazil an excellent end was on the playing cards had it not been for a tangle with Charles Leclerc on the opening lap and in Saudi Arabia a purple flag ruined his probability of an excellent outcome. Take away any a kind of bits of unhealthy luck and he would have completed in fifth place within the standings.
And that is with out even mentioning how he outperformed his extremely rated teammate Daniel Ricciardo over the course of the season.
Consistency was the important thing for Sainz in 2021 and it earned him a best-of-the-rest fifth place end within the drivers’ championship. He scored factors in 20 of the 22 races (solely Hamilton and Norris achieved the identical feat) and took 4 podiums, together with his second place in Monaco because the excessive level.
Selecting between Sainz and his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc was not simple. Whereas Sainz scored extra factors all year long, arguably Leclerc’s excessive factors, equivalent to his pole place in Monaco, had been increased.
However when you think about that Sainz began from zero at Ferrari after becoming a member of the staff from McLaren over the winter, his performances are the extra spectacular in 2021. Both approach, Ferrari can now declare to have one of many strongest driver pairings in F1.
It was an odd yr for Leclerc by which he at all times gave the impression to be on the point of brilliance with out ever actually reaping the rewards.
He scored only one podium over the 22 races however completed fourth on 5 events in Imola, Barcelona, Monza, Turkey and Austin. He had real pictures at successful two races in Monaco and Silverstone, however in Monaco his driveshaft broke on the best way to the grid after he hit the wall in qualifying and in Silverstone Hamilton simply beat him to the flag after recovering from a collision with Verstappen and a 10-second time penalty.
He held a slight qualifying efficiency benefit over Sainz all year long, however contemplating he was the incumbent at Ferrari and so quick in comparison with Sebastian Vettel final yr it was maybe not as large as many anticipated.
It took a handful of races for him to hit his stride, however as soon as Alonso was in control he appeared each bit the sensible competitor that he was in his prime. The early cobwebs may be defined by the mixture of his preseason biking accident and only one and a half days of testing in Bahrain earlier than the season opener, however by the top of the yr he was getting probably the most from the Alpine.
Conventional Alonso traits equivalent to outstanding racecraft and his spectacular capability to learn a grand prix from the cockpit had been evident on a lot of events, however no extra so than in Hungary the place he held up Hamilton for 11 laps to assist teammate Esteban Ocon win the race. He received his personal podium reward in Qatar after an excellent efficiency on outdated tyres to take third place behind the highest two drivers within the sport, Verstappen and Hamilton.
Given a aggressive automobile, it will be courageous to wager towards Alonso in a straight struggle with any driver on this checklist.
It was now not a shock to see Gasly’s AlphaTauri on the entrance three rows of the grid in 2021 as he continued to make a case for a return to the senior Purple Bull staff by qualifying within the prime six most of the time. He dominated his teammate Yuki Tsunoda over the course of twenty-two races and was solely outqualified as soon as by the rookie on the remaining spherical.
However by the top of the season there was nonetheless a query over whether or not he received probably the most from the AlphaTauri.
Very often the automobile appeared like a real competitor with McLaren and Ferrari, but Gasly’s race outcomes over the course of the yr did not again that up. There have been missed alternatives and errors — shedding his entrance wing in collisions in Bahrain and the Monza dash race, for instance — and every now and then Gasly merely went lacking within the races, equivalent to his drop from second on the grid in Qatar to eleventh on the end.
He’s clearly one of the vital gifted drivers on the grid, and one who deserves one other shot in race successful equipment, however there was nonetheless room for enchancment.
Ocon’s race win in Hungary was a standout efficiency that earns him a spot on this checklist. It got here at a time when he wanted it most, having scored simply two factors from 5 races in a mid-season lull shortly after securing a brand new contract, and it helped to prop up a factors tally which will have appeared a bit skinny by the top of the yr with out it.
However when you think about that the Alpine was probably not a prime 10 automobile at most circuits — with the Purple Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and AlphaTauri all wanting superior when it comes to outright efficiency — he nonetheless managed to complete within the factors most of the time over the course of the yr.
Firstly of the season he appeared to have the measure of teammate Alonso, however because the two-time champion received in control the benefit swung forwards and backwards between the 2. Ocon might want to retake the higher hand in that relationship subsequent yr to show his victory in Hungary was the primary of many quite than a one-off.
By the top of 2020, Vettel was a shadow of his former self as he was comprehensively outperformed by Ferrari teammate Leclerc. Shifting to Aston Martin was a chance for a contemporary begin however ran the danger of him wanting decidedly common towards one other younger teammate in Lance Stroll.
On account of regulation adjustments over the winter, Aston Martin struggled for efficiency all through the season and at first Vettel’s decline appeared in peril of continuous. He failed to attain factors on the opening 4 races earlier than a breakthrough efficiency in Monaco kick began his season. A podium adopted on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and there would have been one other on the Hungarian Grand Prix had sufficient gas been left within the tank to offer a pattern to the FIA after the race.
It was removed from a classic yr for Vettel, however there have been indicators of a restoration and he completed 9 factors away from Stroll, which might have been 27 had he not been disqualified in Hungary.
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