WHY THE TOXIC 2021 TITLE FIGHT REMAINS THE GREATEST RIVALRY IN FORMULA 1 HISTORY
Helmut Marko reveals the "brutal" political games of 2021. Discover why Verstappen vs Hamilton remains F1's most toxic rivalry.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton delivered one of the wildest season endings Formula 1 has ever seen in 2021.
Fans are still split on what happened, and honestly, the whole thing remains a lightning rod for controversy. Verstappen walked away with his first drivers’ championship, but the way it went down—especially in Abu Dhabi—left a lot of people talking.
Hamilton pushed hard at the end of the year, but Verstappen never let him off the hook. Whenever Hamilton managed to get ahead, Verstappen was right there, sticking to him like glue. That consistency made all the difference. The final race didn’t play out the way most imagined, but Verstappen was the clear winner in the end.
Behind the scenes, things weren’t so straightforward. F1 stewards later admitted Verstappen really should’ve gotten a penalty for something he did at the Brazilian Grand Prix. He dodged that one, but, weirdly enough, he did get slapped with a £50k fine the same weekend for touching Hamilton’s car—a move meant to mess with his rival’s head.
Tensions ran high all year. Verstappen has said Hamilton was a stressful opponent—definitely more intense than Lando Norris, who he’s raced more recently. On top of the drama in Abu Dhabi, there were huge crashes at Silverstone and Monza that just cranked things up even more.
Helmut Marko, who played a big role from Red Bull’s side, blames politics for making the whole Verstappen-Hamilton showdown feel toxic. “2021 was, emotionally and politically, the toughest year I’ve ever seen in Formula 1,” he told F1-Insider. Mercedes had dominated, then suddenly Red Bull turned up with a young driver and shook everything up. There were crashes—like Silverstone, where Hamilton’s front wheel clipped Max’s rear and sent him flying at 300 km/h. And off the track, it was just as tense, with political games everywhere. It was brutal. Then, in Abu Dhabi, things broke our way—partly because we made the right call on tyres. Mercedes still hasn’t gotten over losing that championship.”
If you want to see just how much Verstappen and Hamilton dominated in 2021, check this out: across 22 races, despite the crashes and some reliability issues, they finished first and second 14 times. In the same car, that would be impressive. But in different cars? That’s next level. They weren’t just ahead of everyone else—they left their own teammates in the dust.
David Coulthard says Verstappen edges out Hamilton, which might seem a bit harsh given the stats, but let’s be real—Verstappen still has plenty of time to catch up and maybe even pass Hamilton’s records.
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
