It’s fair to say that Silverstone is definitely one of the well-liked tracks by both fans and drivers. Add in the factor of the competitive nature of the 2021 season and this track more than delivered! This is why the British Grand Prix is my pick for our favourite races of the 2021 season! I would claim that this Grand Prix was a turning point in the rapport between our title fight protagonists and set the precedent for the rest of the season.
Written by Tanishka Vashee, Edited by Aiden Hover
Silverstone also hosted the first sprint race of the season, giving us our starting grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix with Verstappen on pole followed by Hamilton. Even within the sprint race tensions flared as Hamilton and Verstappen enjoyed an epic wheel to wheel scrap with the Dutchman coming out on top. The sprint also featured incredible defensive work from Alpine’s Fernando Alonso!
At lights out on Sunday, Hamilton got the upper hand and took the lead of the race but the fight was far from over. Whilst the both of them were battling in front, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had surpassed Valtteri Bottas for third. Suddenly into Copse corner, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton made contact, with the Dutchman flying off the track and into the wall!
During the tussle, Charles Leclerc seized the opportunity and took the lead of the Grand Prix. Just half a lap in, the race was red-flagged due to Max’s Collison. Lewis Hamilton was handed a ten-second penalty. Let’s just say who was to blame for the incident was a debate that fuelled discourse in the community for weeks.
At the standing start on lap 4, Charles Leclerc got away pretty well. We got to see an interesting battle between McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso, a smart move for P3 from Lando Norris on Bottas.
On lap 16 of 52, Leclerc complained about his engine cutting, this issue was persistent but he still managed to keep Lewis behind. He drove brilliantly despite pressure from Lewis and the stress of his engine issue.
After serving his ten-second penalty, Lewis dropped to P5 and fought his way back to podium positions. Charles led 49 out of the 52 laps of this race, that was until Lap 50. Lewis took to the inside, Charles took to the runoff and Hamilton was past him; In the same corner Max and he made contact. Lewis won his eighth British Grand Prix as Charles got his first and only podium finish of the season.
Sure, this race was controversial, but you can’t take away the fact that it was action-packed. Praise goes out where it is due, Lewis recovered exceptionally well. It gave us a glimpse into how much Charles’s racecraft has developed. Of course, his driving is not faultless but it had definitely latched onto an upward trajectory. You’ve got to feel for the guy, leading for the majority of the race and losing it in the closing stages. Good fights sprinkled throughout the field and watching Ferrari’s Il Predestinato charge ahead while trying to keep a seven-time world champion behind him is without a doubt a race I would call my favourite of the season.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for part 4 of our series!