Formula 1 is not only one of the top viewed sports in the world, but also one of the richest. The top charts TV show, “Drive To Survive”, debuted on Netflix in 2019 and since then, Formula 1 has been on the rise. From racing scandals to hitting the number one watched TV show in America, Formula 1 has been through everything.
NASCAR has been the most-watched racing sport in America for years but since 2019, the numbers have begun to shift towards Formula 1. All of this is thanks to its TV show and the rivalry they are inspiring: Red Bull Racing Honda versus Mercedes AMG Petronas. For the past decade, both Mercedes and Red Bull have completely dominated the world of racing and have come out as world champions. Starting in 2010, Red Bull Racing won its first championship and kept a four-year streak of winning the constructors cup. After that, a young driver by the name of Lewis Hamilton took over, and after winning the next 7 years of Formula 1, he was crowned the greatest driver of all time. Still, Red Bull and Mercedes have been neck to neck every year not only on the track but also in the pits.
On the track, Red Bull’s young star, Max Verstappen, and Mercedes’ champion, Lewis Hamilton, continue to triumph as they hold 17 victories in the past 21 races. As a result, they are all tied up in points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi. Though this is a very “high-end” sport, it does not stop these superstars from repeatedly colliding. Over half the races this year have had some sort of controversy between these two drivers, forcing their teams to take matters into their own hands off the tracks. Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing’s manager, has time after time complained to the Formula 1 official (FIA) about cheating on behalf of Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ manager, and the rest of their staff. Consequently, Mercedes has received multiple penalties which have pushed them down the grid and made things even more complicated for their star, Lewis Hamilton, to outshine his rival, Max Verstappen.
While those who follow Red Bull Racing see these acts as treacherous by the Mercedes team, the rest of the F1 community has turned on Red Bull Racing, accusing them of cheating multiple times. A few races ago, Max Verstappen analyzed Mercedes’ car as he was trying to come to a solution to Red Bull’s malfunctioning rear wing. When looking at Hamilton’s car, Verstappen was able to recognize what it was that made Lewis’s rear wing so spectacular on the straights. Samuel Attias, class of 2023, reported, “I love and respect Max as a driver but sneaking off like that and doing such a thing is a disgrace to Formula 1.” Verstappen thus reported back to his team and they made some adjustments. Though he seemed as if success was on the way, Verstappen was fined and penalized for such actions as the FIA took no more measures. Although the officials thought he was fairly punished, Toto Wolff thought otherwise. Thus, Horner and Wolff got into a heated argument at one of the press conferences before the Brazilian Grand Prix.
With the off-track drama aside, Verstappen and Hamilton have spent all week preparing for their showdown this weekend in Abu Dhabi, the final race of the 2020-2021 season. The winner of this race will take the constructor’s championship and proclaim victory over the other. As all the fans are sitting and waiting for such a glorious showdown, some speculation has risen because it seems as if Red Bull will stop at nothing to make Max Verstappen the world champion. As of now, Max holds 9 victories while Lewis only holds 8, thus if they were both to crash this weekend, Max would be champion as he holds more victories than his rival. Taking this into account, there is a conspiracy that Horner is advising Max and his teammate Sergio Perez to take Hamilton out of the race, thus dubbing Max Verstappen the champion of the world. Michael Stiberman, class of 2023, commented, “Although this plan might seem smart to some, it both degrades and ruins the incredible name of Red Bull Racing thus turning the entire F1 community against them. Although I am a Max Verstappen fan, I want to see him win fairly and strip Hamilton of his streak.” Being said, this weekend might be the greatest race in the history of F1 between possibly two of the greatest drivers to ever step foot on the tracks.