The 2021 Formula 1 season will go down in history for the great rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. The season was one of those that mark an era and it is still talked about weeks later, and not only by the fans, but also by great riders from the past who praise what has happened in recent months.
Sir Jackie Stewart, three times world champion, also wanted to talk about the 2021 season and acknowledged that he had never seen anything like it: “No, absolutely, never in my life.”
“Never in the history of Formula 1 has there been an outcome like this year. This has been something extraordinarily special. Regardless, it has been a great year with two teams pushing themselves to the limit,” Stewart told Motorsport . .com .
The outcome of that entertaining season is also very good news for the series as a whole, according to the 82-year-old racing legend.
“The public and also the racing community needed a change. Mercedes has dominated the sport for many years and everyone wanted to see another team take on them. Red Bull was the only team capable of doing that, although I was also happy to see Ferrari back on the podium at the end of the season.
No problem with the decisions of Abu Dhabi: “It was not Hollywood”
“This year has been a great success and Max Verstappen has also had an exceptional performance as a driver. Lewis Hamilton will be very disappointed, but he shouldn’t be. He has also had a great season,” said three-time world champion.
However, the controversy is not so focused on them, rather it is related to the way in which Michael Masi managed the last laps, although Stewart does not see anything wrong:
“I think it was handled correctly. There was no movie business. This wasn’t Hollywood , it was raw and the audience enjoys that authenticity. Never in the history of this sport have we seen anything like it.”
A few days later, some drivers and specialists considered that the ideal would have been a red flag, but Stewart does not agree with that either: “No, because there was really no reason to put out a red flag.”
Be that as it may, Verstappen will go down in history forever and, like Stewart, will be inscribed in the books as world champion. Stewart, with his titles in 1969, 1971 and 1973, is a three-time champion in the annals of this category, and he explained that the first title is the most difficult to win. In that sense, he sees a lot of opportunities for Verstappen to keep winning now.
“I think Formula 1 is very strong at the moment, yes, and I also think it has a very good future ahead of it. Stefano Domenicali is doing a great job and the sport is only growing. F1 is getting bigger and bigger. Stewart concluded.
