History is Made: Formula One Season Recap

And with that, the Formula One season ends with a bang.

By Molly Bruggeman, Reporter

Photo by F1

The starting grid for the 2021 Formula One season. Ten teams, twenty drivers, and one championship.

The wait is finally over, the Formula One 2021 season has come to an end. Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s lead driver, became the new Formula One World Champion following Lewis Hamilton who remained a seven time World Champion for Mercedes until the 2021 season. Mercedes won their 13th Constructors Championship this year with their drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

Max Verstappen kneeling down next to his race car. Tears form in Verstappen as he was just named the Champion of the World. (Photo by Red Bull Racing )

In this year’s Formula One season there were 22 Grand Prixs which took place all over the world. The first race of the year was held in Bahrain where Lewis Hamilton took the first win of the 2021 season. Within the next six races Verstappen won 3 races and his teammate Sergio Perez won in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

“Max Verstappen (Red Bull) is definitely one of the greatest drivers in Formula One. He won the Championship because he is young and aggressive,” sophomore Ryker Pithan said.

The battle between Hamilton and Verstappen was not the only rivalry happening in Formula One. Throughout the season three drivers from two different teams were hammering out as many points as they could. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), Lando Norris (McLaren), and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) all in a three way battle for fifth place in the Driver’s Championship. The three drivers pushed their cars to the limit until the end of the season, ultimately ending with Carlos Sainz in fifth place in the Driver’s Championship.

Carlos Sainz smirks as he placed fifth in the driver’s championship. Sainz was the leading Ferrari in the 2021 season. (Photo by F1)

“I feel like Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) is a very underrated driver. He is capable of winning a World Championship if he is in a good car considering he beat his teammate Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) who has been in Ferrari longer than he has,” sophomore Ryan Bruggeman said.

Starting in the 2022 season there will be new driver line ups for Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, and Williams. With Bottas leaving Mercedes for Alfa Romeo, Mercedes decided that George Russsell (Williams) will be filling his spot in 2022. Williams finished eighth in the Constructors Championship in 2021. They are still undecided on who they will recruit for the 2022 season.

Valtteri Bottas smiles as he wins the Turkish Grand Prix. Bottas finished second overall in the driver’s championship. (Photo by Road & Track)

“I think Russell moving to Mercedes will help them a lot because he is only getting better. He is young and fast and when Hamilton gets to the point where he can not drive anymore I think they will need him in the end,” senior Michael Franzen said.

It is very clear that the 2022 Formula One season is anxious to start. The first Grand Prix will commence on the 18th-20th in March. With all of the new driver line ups and drama, the season is bound to be one of the best yet.

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About the Contributor

Molly Bruggeman, Reporter

Molly Bruggeman is a senior, and this is her first year on staff. Molly enjoys writing stories while also partaking in softball, basketball, and track.