Max Verstappen won a tactical masterpiece at the 2021 French Grand Prix, utilizing a bold two-stop strategy to overtake Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap. The result extended Red Bull's championship lead as Mercedes struggled with excessive tyre wear. McLaren surged to third in the Constructors' standings with a stellar double-points finish, while Ferrari faced a difficult day with zero points.
In one of the most astonishing, unpredictable, and dramatic races in modern Formula 1 history, Esteban Ocon claimed his maiden Grand Prix victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix. The eleventh round of the 2021 World Championship was turned on its head before the first corner, as a wet-weather pile-up decimated the front of the field, paving the way for a sensational tactical chess match. Esteban Ocon withstood relentless pressure from Sebastian Vettel for 66 laps to take a historic win for Alpine, while a heroic defensive display by Fernando Alonso denied Lewis Hamilton a monumental comeback victory.
The 2021 Russian Grand Prix was a dramatic, strategically complex race decided by a late-race downpour. Lewis Hamilton secured his 100th F1 win by choosing to switch to intermediate tyres, while Lando Norris lost a potential maiden victory after staying out on slicks. Max Verstappen finished second after starting 20th.
Max Verstappen secured pole position for the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix, out-qualifying Lewis Hamilton by 0.388 seconds. The session highlighted the performance battle between the Red Bull RB16B and Mercedes W12, with notable performances from Charles Leclerc and challenges for newcomers Sergio Pérez and Yuki Tsunoda.