Formula 1 | Hamilton At The Helm as Verstappen Chases

Now four race weekends into the 2021 World Championship, the Formula 1 leaderboard is beginning to take shape. It’s been a very exciting start to the F1 season.

Reigning & defending world champion Lewis Hamilton has started as strong has he finished last year, as Mercedes lead the way for manufacturers. Young talent and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is Hamilton’s immediate rival, and it’s an exciting contest at the top of the grid.

Elsewhere on the grid, Hamilton’s Mercedes partner Valtteri Bottas is the best of the rest. Bottas is joined by British McLaren driver Lando Norris amongst those challenging for the third and final place on the podium.

Four Race Weekends Completed

Bahrain and Emilia Romagna

The Bahrain Grand Prix kicked off the 2021 season, and oh was it exciting! After Verstappen qualified for pole position ahead of Hamilton, everyone knew that the battle would be well and truly on.

Throw in a bit of controversy – Verstappen overtaking Hamilton on the final lap, only to give up his position after an illegal overtake – and the first weekend was over.

Following a three week break in between the first and second GP’s, it was the Emilia Romagna GP in Italy that followed. Verstappen sought revenge, and beat Hamilton in a slightly less-intense finish. Nonetheless, it was an exciting race, and it was nice to see Britain’s Lando Norris get his first podium finish for the season.

Portugal and Spain

The race at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal was another that just emphasised the current top two in the spot. Despite Bottas starting the race in pole position, it was quick to see that Hamilton and Verstappen are still the ones to beat. Hamilton claimed his second win of the season, and Verstappen settled for second place.

In the latest race of the 2021 season, the drivers headed to Barcelona to take part in the Spanish Grand Prix.  With another nail-biting finish, similar to the opening race in Bahrain, it was Hamilton chasing down Verstappen with just ten laps to go.

The Mercedes driver closed the gap between him and the leader extremely quickly, and was able to take the win in Spain. That’s yet another F1 record for Hamilton, who has now tied Ayrton Senna’s record for most consecutive wins at a single venue.

Hamilton vs. Verstappen

With just four races complete in the 2021 World Championship, the rivalry at the top of the grid is already very apparent. The pair have battled at numerous points in each race, and that theme is set to continue.

There’s no doubt that Hamilton will be looking to extend his lead from Verstappen and the rest of the grid this early on in the season. Meanwhile, Verstappen will be looking to challenge the British driver to claim his first World Championship crown.

Next Up – Monaco Grand Prix

Fortunately, F1 fans don’t have to wait too long for the fifth instalment of the 2021 World Championship. The infamous Monaco GP is up next, and it’s less than two weeks away!

At the prestigious Circuit de Monaco, all drivers on the grid will want to put on a show for the spectators in attendance. It’s always an exciting race weekend, and we’re expecting no less, given the start of this exciting season.

Formula 1 – Betting Odds

Know who’s going to win next week’s Monaco GP? Will it be the British Mercedes driver that takes the victory? Will Verstappen take the glory? Well, you can check out the latest F1 betting odds at 888sport today!