A Clash of Titans: The Weight of the Turkish Grand Prix, and the Hamilton-Verstappen Rivalry So Far

Written by Ana

Published 11 October 2021

(Depicted above are Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton after the Russian Grand Prix via Getty Images.)

Max Verstappen may not have stood on the top step of the podium for the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, but second place could not have been sweeter, as he regained the championship lead over his nearest rival, Lewis Hamilton. The latter, who took a gamble by going into the pits in the final stretch of the race, only managed to finish fifth, bringing the point deficit between the drivers to six points.

This is a crucial moment in what has been an epic battle for the title thus far, with Red Bull finally being able to break through the fortress that Mercedes has held strong for the entirety of the turbo-hybrid era.

Every moment has felt like a turning point, but how did we end up here? How does this moment give foresight into what the last stretch of the season will bring?

Hamilton’s early rise, Verstappen meeting him there

As the season kicked off, the first four races seemed to bathe Mercedes in the glow that it has gotten used to flaunting—with them winning three out of the first four races. Verstappen and Hamilton only swapped P1 and P2 in Imola, showing a glimpse of how close they would be for the season to come.

As it turns out, there would be no shortage of close moments between the pair.

In the races that he managed to finish, as well as those he did not take a penalty for, Verstappen managed to really stake his claim for the title by winning them all; in Monaco, Paul Ricard, Red Bull Ring (twice), Spa, and Zandvoort.

The tight rivalry sparked nostalgia of the close-fought Hamilton-Rosberg battles of 2016, as well as those brought by Vettel in 2018. It was clear that neither of them would let up, and it would just be a question of who would be the first to blink.

Close calls, collisions, and catastrophes

The undeniable advantage that Verstappen held only seemed to let up when he was on the wrong side of fate.

Who could forget the immense weight of the tyre blow out of Baku, where Verstappen’s rear left tyre gave out as he was in the lead of the race, causing a red flag to be waved over the session, and him to careen into the barriers? It is also worth noting, though, that Hamilton did not finish in the points due to his brakes overheating, leaving the fight for the championship to resume another day.

Another incident was in Silverstone, where a collision between Hamilton and Verstappen left the latter to DNF, while the other went on to win the race. The incident made the air between the two grow undeniably sour, tension inevitably high due to what was at stake for both parties.

All of this seemed to culminate in Monza, where a tight squeeze into turn two lead to a scary collision that ended up with Verstappen’s car climbing over Hamilton’s, the Red Bull’s tyre rolling over the Mercedes’ halo. Fortunately, none of the drivers were severely harmed in the incident, but it gave insight into where the championship battle was, and how it was affecting both the teams and the drivers alike.

Crossing the finish line

Even as the season draws to a close, with the last six races on the horizon, things are as make-or-break as ever. At this point, the championship could still swing in either way, with the fight predicted to culminate in a heart stopper in Abu Dhabi.

Before the race in Turkey, Hamilton finished first in the traditionally Mercedes-dominated track of Sochi, showing that the back and forth between the two in the standings is showing no signs of relenting.

As things move forward, we are set to see more close fought battles on track, enhanced by the usual theatrics brought by the sport off track. The pressure is boiling hotter than ever, and at this point, it’s anyone’s ball game.

One thing is for sure, though—that the 2021 season will go down in history as one of the best wars waged between two of the greatest this sport has ever seen.