Lewis Hamilton v Max Verstappen - The flashpoints that have defined a championship fight

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen crash at Monza — Photo: © LAT Images

Hamilton v Verstappen

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Hamilton v Verstappen - The flashpoints that have defined a championship fight

The 2021 title battle has been one for the ages

Sam Hall

Thursday 9 December 2021 18:50

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen arrive in Abu Dhabi tied on 369.5 points but the road to the F1 season finale has been far from smooth.

Mercedes has been the dominant force since the introduction of the V6 turbo-hybrid power units in 2014, winning all seven constructors' titles while Hamilton has won six drivers' crowns and Nico Rosberg the other in 2016.

In the final season of the current aerodynamic regulations, Red Bull and Max Verstappen have provided a sustained challenge to the Silver Arrows with both battles going the distance.

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In a year of controversy and clashes, however, GPFans has taken a look back at the six key flashpoints of a thrilling championship rivalry.

Bahrain - The opener that set the tone

Mercedes entered the season opener on the back foot to Red Bull after a series of aerodynamic tweaks that appeared to hinder the performance of the low-rake designed cars such as the W12 and Aston Martin AMR21 more than those with a high-rake.

When the racing began in Bahrain, however, Mercedes performed like champions and took the fight to Red Bull.

Taking the lead by making the most of the undercut, Hamilton put up a sturdy defence against Verstappen but on lap 54 the Dutchman finally found a way through.

Unfortunately for Red Bull, the pass was completed off the track and, not for the last time this year, Verstappen was instructed to hand back the position.

Unable to retake the lead, Hamilton scored the first win of the year and sparked a fierce rivalry.

Imola - Verstappen leaves his mark

After losing out in the first race, Verstappen wasted no time in striking back at Imola.

Verstappen started third behind Hamilton and team-mate Sergio Perez but made the strongest start of the frontrunners and drew level with the seven-time champion on the run to Tamburello.

Determined to hit the front, Verstappen forced Hamilton onto the sausage kerbs at the chicane after getting his nose ahead on the inside line.

A second moment of contention would later come after Hamilton crashed at Tosa and fell a lap behind yet was permitted to regain the lap following a red-flag period for his team-mate Valtteri Bottas' crash with future partner George Russell.

Making the most of his second chance, Hamilton scythed his way back to stand on the second step of the podium.

Silverstone - Polite competition becomes ruthless rivalry

Although there had been various tit-for-tat comments branded across the early phase of the season - Mercedes protesting Red Bull's flexing rear wing resulting in the most notable outcome - tensions exploded at Silverstone.

After Verstappen's success in the first sprint trial on the Saturday, it took less than a lap for the carnage to occur on the Sunday.

Driving wheel-to-wheel through the first sector, Hamilton was drawing alongside Verstappen on the run to Copse corner and, as the pair turned in, he tagged the rear of the Red Bull.

Verstappen was pitched into the tyre barrier with a 51g impact and after being found to be "predominantly" to blame, Hamilton was handed a 10-second penalty, although recovered to take the victory.

The perceived leniency of Hamilton's penalty, as well as the celebrations afterwards as Verstappen was taken to hospital, caused anger among the Red Bull ranks and the blue touchpaper was lit for the rest of the campaign.

Monza - Double DNF costs both drivers

The second major flashpoint of the season came at the Italian Grand Prix and is so far the only race this season that neither driver has finished.

On lap 26 at Monza, Hamilton came close to making the overcut work against his rival but, after exiting the pits alongside Verstappen, the two collided going through the Rettifilo chicane.

Although the stewards slapped Verstappen with a three-place grid penalty for the following race, opinion was split as to who was at fault in this incident, with both drivers able to do more to avoid the contact.

At the time, just five points separated the pair, a lead Verstappen had established through victory in the Netherlands and finishing second in the Monza sprint.

Interlagos - Verstappen evades penalty punishment

Brazil hosted the third and final sprint trial of the season and given the incidents in previous weekends, a further flashpoint appeared almost inevitable.

Add into the mix Hamilton's disqualification from qualifying on Friday, something that pushed him to the back of the grid for the sprint with a five-place engine penalty already hanging over him for the grand prix itself, and the fire had already been stoked.

Despite facing an uphill battle, Hamilton took just a handful of laps to return to the top four and quickly set about catching Verstappen, with the Dutchman carrying a 21-point lead after the sprint.

After closing to within DRS range on lap 48, Hamilton attempted an audacious move around the outside of turn four but in his defence, Verstappen ensured that neither driver would make the corner.

Given penalties handed out across the season for forcing other drivers off the track, the decision of the FIA stewards not to even investigate the incident raised eyebrows and Mercedes petitioned for a right to review, which was thrown out ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix.

Saudi Arabia - Brake testing and confusion

Saudi Arabia saw perhaps the strangest of all the exchanges between Hamilton and Verstappen.

Both drivers made their fair share of mistakes, with Hamilton impeding both Pierre Gasly and Nikita Mazepin in practice sessions whilst Verstappen crashed at the final corner in qualifying when poised to take pole from his rival.

In the race, Verstappen first passed Hamilton off the track through turns one and two.

Following a bizarre radio exchange with FIA race director Michael Masi, Verstappen was pushed back for a red-flag restart behind Hamilton to third.

After legally securing the lead, Verstappen then ran off-track at the first chicane again when defending from a charging Hamilton in a move bearing a resemblance to his Brazilian defence.

Verstappen was deemed to have gained a lasting advantage, so again was instructed to hand the position back.

Unaware of what was about to happen, Hamilton ran into the back of the Dutchman's car when he slowed his Red Bull just before a DRS detection zone.

For the sudden deceleration, as he had hit the brakes hard, Verstappen was handed a 10-second penalty and, despite having conceded the lead, was also given a further five-second penalty for the off-track advantage gained.

Will Abu Dhabi add another flashpoint to the mix? There's not long to wait and see now!