Formula 1 2021 season

There were many highs for Red Bull in 2021 but the biggest high for the team is of course the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and Verstappen’s championship winning victory, where he made that last lap overtake on Hamilton to claim the title. The race summed up the immense partnership Verstappen and Pérez have built for each other, the Mexican’s defence against Hamilton after the British driver had made his opening pit-stop was unbelievable. Pérez’s defending allowed Verstappen to close an almost ten-second gap to Hamilton, down to under a second.

Had this not happened Hamilton would’ve had a big enough gap most likely come the dramatic late safety car, to pit for fresh tyres and remain in the lead. This wasn’t the first time that the pair had worked together, as they did so back at the French Grand Prix where the team’s strategy and the drivers teamwork made the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team look defeated. The team’s strategy saw them close on both Mercedes drivers in the closing stages of the surprisingly thrilling race at the Circuit Paul Ricard, with Verstappen overtaking both Valtteri Bottas and Hamilton in the final laps to take victory, with Pérez getting past Bottas to take third.

The third chosen high comes with the team’s double podium at the Mexican Grand Prix, a hugely significant day for the team and Mexican motorsport as Pérez claimed the most special podium of his career at home. Mercedes had locked out the front but it was Verstappen in third who was bravest into Turn 1, the Dutchman took the lead and never looked back whilst Hamilton behind had to defend from a rapidly closing Pérez late on.

When there are highs, there will always be lows, Red Bull’s 2021 campaign was no different. The first low came at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix despite Pérez claiming victory. The race would’ve been comfortably won by Verstappen, had the Dutchman not suffered one of the scariest crashes of the season after suffering a tyre failure at over 200mph down the main straight. It was a heart in the mouth moment for the team however Pérez claiming the victory after Hamilton’s lock-up, did ease the team’s pain.

The biggest low was of course the British Grand Prix and the boiling point between Vertsappen and Hamilton on the opening lap of the race. Hamilton’s move up the inside of the Dutchman at Copse, saw the pair collide sending Verstappen off into the barrier at 180mph followed by an unimaginable 51G impact. Verstappen walked away just about okay whilst Hamilton took victory at home despite being awarded a penalty. The pair also collided at the Italian Grand Prix in what was another big incident.

On this occasion Verstappen tried to go around the outside of Hamilton at the opening chicane after the British driver was exciting the pits, there simply wasn’t enough room though as Verstappen bounced over the sausage kerbs and landed on top of Hamilton’s Mercedes, the halo was the only thing keeping Verstappen’s RB16 off of Hamilton’s helmet.

The final key low moment for the team came at the damp Hungarian Grand Prix, where both Red Bull’s were involved in an opening lap crash caused by Bottas. The Mercedes driver braked too late and went up the back of Lando Norris, who in return then slid into both Pérez and Verstappen. Pérez was forced into retirement whilst Verstappen brought home a wounded RB16 in ninth place. The race saw Hamilton claim a twelve-point lead in the championship at the time.