Formula 1 2021 Season in Review

Part of the F1 Reaction Series

The season is over and since we reacted to the start and middle of the season, I suppose we should react to the end as well. We have crowned our champions and the teams can return to their factories fully focused on 2022’s new car design. 2021 ensured that the whole world was watching and divided fans but, with the season over, we can all try to figure out what the hell we’re supposed to do before testing starts next year. After all the back and forth in the championship decider in the desert, we still have so much to discuss. There were new tracks, old tracks, tracks popping in for a visit, incidents, accidents, surprise podiums galore and someone might be (please read as: probably will be) fired. But it’s time we sat down and had a chat about the season as a whole.

So, for the last time this year (and in a far calmer tone than Crofty’s ever said it) it’s lights out and away we go.

Favourite Drivers? (Has it changed? Have you added any new drivers?)

E: I can do this in order, it’s easier. Max, Lando, Daniel & Checo, Sebastian & Mick and Yuki. Yuki and Mick are new additions obviously but other than that there have been no really important changes.

N: The great thing about being new to the sport this year was I got to form opinions and favourites throughout the season. From the very start of the season I adopted Daniel and Lando, Mick and Yuki. Rounding off the top five would have to be Sebastian. At the beginning of the season Daniel and Lando were tied for 1st place as my favourites; I am happy to report Mick has joined them as my trio of favourites and don’t you dare make me pick between them! (Zandvoort outfits of the day are going to be interesting!)

Driver of Season?

E: Easy. Max Verstappen.

N: Sergio Perez. Checo took the top spot for me as he is the King of Tyre Management in my eyes and his defending battles with Lewis Hamilton this season especially during that final race!

Rookie of the Season?

E: Yuki Tsunoda. He had ups and downs this season but did finish the season well with a great P4 which got a little overlooked in all the hubbub. Unfortunately, I didn’t really see Mick racing much as he was in a Haas but he did make a surprise appearance (or two) in Q2 which is excellent on a severely underdeveloped car.

N: Hands down Yuki Tsunoda. Although we didn’t get to see many chances to shine for the other two rookies this season except Mick Schumacher making Q2 at the Turkish Grand Prix, Yuki won this based on the amount of growth as a driver and as a person this season.

Favourite Track (not including new/reintroduced tracks)?

E: Monaco, Spa and Monza.

N: Baku, Monza and Bahrain (mainly for the fact Bahrain was the first race I watched and the first circuit I perfected on F1 2020). [Emma in editing: Well done, Baku. IYKYK.]

Favourite Teams? (Has it changed? Have you added any new teams?)

E: Red Bull. McLaren in second though because of Lando and Danny Ric. It hasn’t changed in a long time and I don’t think it will for a long time.

N: McLaren, I am a very proud Payapa and fortunate that my two favourite drivers are on the same team. As for beyond that, can Team Mick and the epic Haas social media team count as a team by themselves? Next up to these has to be Alpha Tauri solely for Yuki and Pierre and their epic brolationship.

Favourite New/Returning Track? (Losail, Jeddah, Zandvoort or Istanbul Park)

E: I loved the atmosphere at Zandvoort. Personally, I think something needs to be done in Jeddah; it may be fun to drive but the constant red flags, safety cars and VSCs means the flow and rhythm of the race is very broken.

N: I’m going to say something extremely controversial for this one, personally I loved Jeddah as a track. The amount of VSC, safety cars and red flags did cause a break in the flow of watching the race but, I found it an extremely exciting track that had us all on the edge of our seats for the good, the bad and the ugly. It takes the exciting aspects of, dare I say, three other circuits at least and makes it into one insane circuit! In terms of atmosphere, like Emma has said, Zandvoort wins hands down.

Most Surprising Team?

E: Alpine. They trusted El Plan and it worked.

N: Alpine, I honestly thought that Alpha Tauri had them bet this season but I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.

Least Surprising Team?

E: Haas. They said they wouldn’t be developing the car and they didn’t. They consistently rounded out the bottom of the grid as was expected.

N: Haas, Emma said it best. I really hope they up their game in 2022, with that game changer stay consistent and can we please get Mick a Haas Sim! That man did amazing after going on Ferrari’s Sim after the Summer break, can you imagine what he can do with a better car and more sim time in 2022?

Top 3 Radio Moments?

E: Well I definitely know my three. 1. “Yeah, perfect. Say hi”. 2. “Lando, what damage do you have?” “Uh Talent” 3. “MAX VERSTAPPEN, YOU ARE THE WORLD CHAMPION!!”

N: 1. “Tell Esteban to defend, like a lion”. 2. “And for anyone who thought I left… I never left. Just moved aside for a while” 3. “We’ll call it winner, winner chicken dinner right?”

Favourite Driver Duo?

E: Max and Daniel will always be my favourite chaotic duo like we saw in their press conference together but I do love Max and Checo’s friendship this season. They really seem to be a very mellow pair and have a great underlying friendship to their roles as teammates. Daniel and Lando really seem to have become great friends this season and I hope it stays that way for a while (Hint hint, McLaren). Pierre and Yuki quickly became the ultimate brolationship and we know they had multiple sleep overs in Pierre’s house this year. And, if we’re talking about driver duos, we have to mention Sebastian and Mick. The ultimate in wholesome mentor/mentee friendships and I’m looking forward to more from them next season.

N: Sebastian and Mick win my favourite driver duo thanks to the wonderful social media teams from Aston Martin and Haas! All of the Smick content, thank you guys… please take a bow. Honestly, the wholesome friendship that has me smiling a lot is these two. Anyone who hasn’t watched their interviews together on Sky Sports Formula 1, go watch them and you will understand! They were much more entertaining than their pairing for the press conferences shown on Sky Sports F1. I adore their mentor/mentee relationship but also just their friendship if I’m honest. This duo is closely followed by Daniel and Lando. At the beginning of the season, they did seem to be slightly stiff with one another while not fully understanding the other’s sense of humor on camera but there seemed to be a light switch moment half way through the season and we finally saw what I think they had all along away from the camera. Roll on 2022 for more moments of my gushing over these two friendships!

Sooo, how’d those predictions turn out?

E: I called a Lando Norris P2. I put it out there and it happened, just saying. Did I predict a P1? No. Did he get one? Also no. Which tells us what? It tells us that I just know things. As for the World Championships: I called Mercedes winning the constructors and Max winning the drivers’. All in all, it’s 3 out of 3 for me.

N: Can I just say I called it? Yes, yes I wanted a McLaren 1-2 and did my boys deliver? Yes, they did. Monza is still amazingly sweet! Max winning the championship? Called it! I also predicted the Carlos podiums. I did, however, get the constructors wrong; here’s hoping Red Bull pulls it out of the bag next season.

Thoughts on the season as a whole?

E: It was, by far, the closest season we’ve had in years and it was a welcome change from the usual. Were there decisions made that I disagreed with? Yes but it led to a great season of racing and a lot of entertaining fights in the midfield which made it all the more enjoyable.

N: Has my heart rate hit new high levels thanks to this season as a whole? Yes, yes it has! Overall the season was insanely manic but in a good way! With the championship being so close and coming down to the final race, it had me on the edge of my seat! However, I enjoyed the fights in the middle of the field. They were a lot more entertaining at times and I enjoyed, after the Summer break, that Sky Sports F1 finally showed those battles when the front of the pack were quiet.

Niamh, it’s your first season following F1; What do you think of the sport as a whole?

Can I just start by saying: what a season to start watching F1! From here on in, there is going to be very high expectations on what I need to see during an F1 season! Anyone who tells you F1 isn’t a real sport is lying to you. Let’s be real for a second, dear readers, the highs, lows and the ‘I really cannot watch this, I feel sick’ moments while peering through your hands at the screen are just as intense as with any sport! That being said, there is always room for error and, personally, I think they came this season in the form of the FIA’s inconsistency and Pirelli’s tyres. Firstly, the FIA’s inconsistency left me messaging Emma a lot for clarification on some grey area moments; mainly what is legal or illegal? Some moments do not make sense when you take a halfway approach. This may result in me reading the 2022 rulebook ahead of the 2022 season just so we know more of when these inconsistencies occur if they do not change it. Pirelli, darling we all make mistakes, we’re human but denying there is nothing wrong with tyres when multiple drivers end up crashing after tyres explode is not the way to go! Don’t even get me started on the second half of the season shizz show. By the end of the season, I had everything crossed that each driver’s tyre life would get to the end of the “Pirelli suggested lap lifespan” and it’s not a good sign when someone new even knows something is seriously wrong. Overall though, it is an exciting sport to watch with each week being different from the last, even if the main contenders don’t change much. I am enjoying learning more about the strategy side of the sport and not just focusing on which car drives quicker and suits a certain track! It’s a team win not just down to a driver! Also making the decision to watch the F3 and F2’s was a game changer. They call it the road to F1 but, by gosh, do you learn more quickly about the sport watching all categories! My favourite on track battles were between the F2s.

Emma, it’s your twenty fifth(ish) season following F1; What do you think of the sport as a whole?

Before I say anything else, and believe me I have a lot to say, I waited 8 years! 8 years for a Red Bull champion and they finally did it. I am immensely proud of the whole team for what they achieved this year. It was hard fought and hard earned but they did it. Did I cry? Like a child but my pride in the whole Red Bull team is beyond anything words can say. Now, let’s get down to more serious things. FIA, can we get some consistency please?! No more grey areas. Legal or illegal? Not kind of legal but also kind of not. In or out? Not both. And some penalty consistency would be nice as well. At the rate we’re going here, Nikita Mazepin can punt every car off the track, serve his 190 second penalty then win the race. How is that fair? Put biases aside and look at the risk to life, not the intention behind the action because, and this may come as a surprise to you, people can lie about their intentions. Also, when it’s very wet and the drivers are saying it’s too wet to race/qualify, don’t send the drivers out. Putting people’s lives at risk is a f*cking stupid decision. And, finally, FIA maybe you might just want to get rid of biased stewards and stop interfering with races so much to create a dramatic season finale. Just a thought. In fact, new cars? How about an entirely new rule book? One that can be stuck to, rigidly. I could go on but I’ve wasted enough time on all of you as it is but I will say that your meddling will cost you fans, drivers and, what you seem to care about most, money in the future, I guarantee you that. Pirelli fix your f*cking tyres before you get someone killed! How many tyre failures does there have to be for you to realise that your tyre compounds are an unnecessary risk? F1 is dangerous enough as it is, the risk of tyre failures and incidents caused by those failures do not need to be added into the equation. Sky F1, aw hi you didn’t think you’d get away scott free did you? Aw, sweeties (and I say that in the most condescending tone imaginable), no. STOP BEING BIASED AND REPORT THE RACE AS IS AND NOT HOW YOU WANT IT TO BE!!! IT IS NOT YOUR JOB TO STEWARD THE RACE SO F*CKING STOP!!!! AND YOU ARE NOT LEWIS’ DEFENCE ATTORNEYS SO PLEASE REFRAIN FROM TELLING US VIEWERS HOW NOTHING IS EVER LEWIS’ FAULT BECAUSE SOMETHINGS CLEARLY WERE. Ahem. Have a nice day 🙂 I’ll stop there before I get angrier.

Hopes for next season?

E: I would love another close season but maybe some racing without the 20+ second gap between Red Bull/Mercedes and the rest of the field and maybe a nice bit of wheel to wheel racing where the stewards don’t have to get involved? I can dream.

N: Anyone’s game? With new rules (probably after that explosive finale) and new cars entering into the 2022 season, I am hoping for a number of surprises among the middle to bottom of the field. Also Pirelli… sort your tyres out please.

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So, with all our thoughts on this year’s epic Formula 1 season done and dusted, the next question is: do we continue our F1 Reaction Series in 2022?