The 2021 F1 Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna was the perfect formula of rookies crashing, penalties, a red flag and rain.
From get go it was wet and wild in Imolaand one of the more exciting races we've witnessed in quite some time. It looks like F1 is heading in the right direction and rain always makes things that little bit more interesting.
Max Verstappen started from the front of the grid, and from the first braking point, the battle began for the two main championship contenders in Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
There was a bit of tension for Mclaren Mercedes after team orders forced Daniel Ricciardo to switch places with his teammate. He settled for a respectable sixth, while Lando Norris came home with his second F1 career podium.
A race error by Lewis Hamilton saw him crash into the wall on lap 31. He managed to recover, dragging his Mercedes back onto the track, but with a broken front wing.
It wasn't to be for Valtteri Bottas with a premature end to his race after an incident with George Russell. This issued a red flag, a saviour for Lewis Hamilton, allowing him to get back on track and up to second position.
The Ferraris surprised this weekend. After a shocking 2020, they bagged themselves plenty of points with Charles Leclerc finishing in fourth and his teammate Carlos Sainz crossing the line in fifth. DNFs also for Nicholas Latifi and Sebastian Vettel.
An action packed race, we can only hope the entertainment continues when F1 heads to Portugal for a race on the 2 May 2021. Lewis Hamilton now leads the championship, but only by one point over Max Verstappen.
Results
Pos | Driver | Team |
1. | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda |
2. | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
3. | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes |
4. | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
5. | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari |
6. | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren Mercedes |
7. | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri Honda |
8. | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes |
9. | Estaban Ocon | Alpine Renault |
10. | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault |
11. | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda |
12. | AlphaTauri Honda | |
13. | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | |
14. | Antonio Giovinazzi (+1 lap) | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari |
15. | Sebastian Vettel (+2 laps) | Aston Martin Mercedes |
16. | Mick Schumacher (+2 laps) | Haas Ferrari |
17. | Nikita Mazepin (+2 laps) | Haas Ferrari |
Did not finish: Nicholas Latifi (Williams Mercedes), Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes), George Russell (Williams Mercedes), Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin Mercedes)
2021 Driver Standings
Pos | Driver | Team | Pts |
1. | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 44 |
2. | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda | 43 |
3. | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 27 |
4. | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 20 |
5. | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 16 |
6. | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 14 |
7. | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren Mercedes | 14 |
8. | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda | 10 |
9. | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes | 5 |
10. | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri Honda | 2 |
11. | AlphaTauri Honda | 2 | |
12. | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 2 |
13. | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault | 1 |
14. | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 0 | |
15. | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 0 |
16. | George Russell | Williams Mercedes | 0 |
17. | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin Mercedes | 0 |
18. | Mick Schumacher | Haas Ferrari | 0 |
19. | Nikita Mazepin | Haas Ferrari | 0 |
20. | Nicholas Latifi | Williams Mercedes | 0 |
2021 Constructor Standings
Pos | Team | Pts |
1. | Mercedes | 60 |
2. | Red Bull Racing Honda | 53 |
3. | McLaren Mercedes | 41 |
4. | Ferrari | 34 |
5. | AlphaTauri Honda | 8 |
6. | Aston Martin Mercedes | 5 |
7. | Alpine Renault | 3 |
8. | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 0 |
9. | Williams Mercedes | 0 |
10. | Haas Ferrari | 0 |
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