FIA Sporting Regulations

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The 2021 season was defined by a year-long, hard-fought battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. BBC Sport's Andrew Benson described their rivalry as "one of the most intense, hard-fought battles in sporting history." The two drivers exchanged the championship lead multiple times, with major collisions occurring at the British and Italian Grands Prix, alongside minor incidents at Emilia Romagna and Saudi Arabia. The season saw Max Verstappen become the first Dutch driver to win the title, the first Honda-powered champion since Ayrton Senna in 1991, and the first Red Bull winner since Sebastian Vettel in 2013. It was also a year of significant team changes: Aston Martin returned after a 61-year absence following Lawrence Stroll's investment, McLaren resumed its partnership with Mercedes, and Renault rebranded as Alpine. The championship concluded with Verstappen securing his first title by overtaking Hamilton on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix under controversial race control handling of a late safety car period.

In Their Own Story

The season culminated in a dramatic finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where both title contenders entered tied on points. The race ended with a controversy as race control was deemed not to have handled a late safety car period fully according to regulations. This allowed Max Verstappen to execute a last-lap overtake on Lewis Hamilton after a restart, securing his maiden World Drivers' Championship. Following the race, Mercedes initially protested the results but later decided not to appeal after their protest was denied. The incident triggered a significant review of race control operations, leading to key structural changes including the removal of Michael Masi from his role as race director and the implementation of a virtual race control room to assist future directors. This season also marked the final race for 2007 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen.

Reader's Guide

The 2021 calendar consisted of twenty-two events, subject to local COVID-19 regulations. Notable additions included the debut of the Qatar and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, both held as night races, and the revival of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort after a 36-year absence. The British, Italian, and São Paulo Grands Prix featured the sprint qualifying format. Several planned events were cancelled due to the pandemic or other issues: the Vietnamese Grand Prix was dropped following corruption charges against Hanoi's former chairman, while the 70th Anniversary, Eifel, Sakhir, and Tuscan Grands Prix from 2020 were not included. The Brazilian Grand Prix returned under its new name, the São Paulo Grand Prix. Driver lineups saw significant shifts: Carlos Sainz Jr. joined Ferrari, Daniel Ricciardo moved to McLaren, and Sergio Pérez joined Red Bull Racing as the first non-Junior Team member since Mark Webber in 2007.

Did You Know?

• Max Verstappen became the first non-Mercedes driver to win a World Championship in the turbo-hybrid era.
• The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was the fifth venue ever to host a night race, following Singapore, Bahrain, Sakhir, and Qatar.
• Sergio Pérez joined Red Bull Racing without having been a Red Bull Junior Team member for the first time since Mark Webber in 2007.
• The Dutch Grand Prix returned to the calendar at Zandvoort for the first time since 1985.
• Kimi Räikkönen's final race was the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ending his career as a 2007 World Champion.