The British Grand Prix is usually a pivotal weekend in the Formula One calendar and after recent events at Silverstone, it is fair to say that this year’s The Championship Picture changes considerably.
With the race format looking slightly different than it has before, Max Verstappen found himself taking the chequered flag during Saturday’s sprint race and in doing so, earned pole position for Sunday’s main event. Here you can check Formula 1 Drivers Salaries 2021.
While in addition to that, there was also an opportunity to pull further clear in the championship standings, and although the margin would only move from 32 to 33, every point certainly counts within the world of Formula One.
Fast forward to Sunday afternoon and matters were neatly poised, as the championship leader looked to turn the screw further and if another win were recorded by the son of Jos Verstappen, the Mercedes team would certainly feel the heat.
The heat that was blazing down on the racetrack and after just a few corners of intense racing, there would be the weekend’s hottest talking point. One that will lead to plenty of discussions over the next few days and weeks.
With the two title rivals heading into Copse corner at 190mph, there was always going to be a sense that both cars would not be able to exit in one piece and for Red Bull boss Christian Horner, his worst fears soon came to fruition.
A collision saw Verstappen hurtle into the tire barrier and lose a tire of his own in the process. Not only that, but as Hamilton sped off into the distance, it also meant a neat plot twist in the quest to be 2021 champion.
Whether it was a racing incident or not is something that will be continually argued and depending on who you support will obviously frame your viewpoint on the matter. However, in the short term, the stewards deemed the move reckless enough to hand Hamilton a 10-second time penalty.
One that only added to the drama that was unfolding and after the Mercedes team expertly managed to oversee the penalty that had been awarded, a grandstand finish was now emerging on the horizon.
A finish that saw Copse corner play a fundamental role once more and with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc put under pressure by a man desperate to not only win in front of a home crowd but also win for his own championship prospects, the then race leader would run wide at a crucial moment.
A moment that saw a partisan crowd let out an almighty roar at all points of the track and at that moment, all that was left was for Mercedes’ superstar to see out the last two laps and win the 2021 edition of the British Grand Prix.
The victory that sees Red Bull rue their luck and their number one driver now having to look over his shoulder, as a comfortable 33-point lead at the top of the standings has now been eroded to a less healthy eight.
A margin that could be completely absorbed by the end of the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix and if the seven-time world champion and Stevenage-born driver Hamilton can win and earn the fastest lap point, it will be all square in the points standings.
While events in Britain have also generated a considerable amount of interest within the online sports betting community and although it is still Verstappen who is his favorite to win this year’s crown, his odds have now changed considerably.
For those looking to place a bet on the outcome of this year’s title tussle, there is arguably more value betting against the 23-year-old and when you consider who he is up against, it would be remiss to suggest this is nothing more than a one-horse race.
In fairness, the racing discipline of Formula One arguably needed those events at Silverstone, if only to inject some life into the 2021 story and with still more than half of the calendar still remaining, it is going to take a brave person to suggest who eventually takes the top step of the overall podium.
Will Mercedes’ dominant streak continues for an eighth successive year, or will Red Bull finally return to the promised land for the first time since 2013? It’s impossible to say right now but it is going to be great fun finding out over the next few weeks and months.
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