The battle of Abu Dhabi: Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's chaotic 2021 season

The 2023 Formula One season starts in March at the Bahrain International Circuit. Max Verstappen will be looking to win the world title three years in a row.

Verstappen won his first world title in 2021,  beating arch-enemy Lewis Hamilton on the last lap in the final race.

Let's look at the 2021 Formula One season and how it captivated the whole sporting world.

The opener in Bahrain was a sign of things to come. Verstappen closely tailed Hamilton throughout the race, but Hamilton held on dramatically, winning by 0.745 seconds, according to formula1.com.

The Imola Grand Prix, just a few weeks later, was rain-soaked drama. Hamilton took the pole in qualifying, but after being pushed by Verstappen, the Dutchman took the lead and cruised to victory. Hamilton on the other hand, slipped off the track but rescued P2 towards the end.

Max Verstappen showed Hamilton his worthiness of the title in Monaco, coming from behind Charles Leclerc in the race to win the prestigious event. Hamilton had his worst qualifying since 2018 and finished 7^th.

Verstappen led the standings after victory in Monaco and dominated in Baku until his tire issues caused him to DNF. This looked like a perfect opportunity for Hamilton to claw back in the race until his 'magic break' button broke, meaning neither driver scored points.

After missed opportunities in Baku, the points between the two drivers were close, with Hamilton on 101 points and Verstappen on 105 points.

Verstappen won a hattrick of races in France, Styria, and Austria, convincingly showing his class in Styria, where he led all 71 laps of the race. His wins helped him build a 32-point lead at the summit of the Drivers' Championship.

The rivalry would never be the same after Silverstone. Hamilton sent Verstappen spinning into the barriers after hard contact on a corner. Subsequently, Hamilton would win the race and close the gap to eight points (185-177).

A multi-car crash at the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix meant Verstappen escaped the race with just two points to Hamilton's 18. The chaos continued in Belgium with a rain-shortened race, meaning only half the points were handed out, cutting Hamilton's lead to three.

A collision on lap 26 between the pair after Hamilton escaped the pits meant for the first time in the season, McLaren finished first and second in the race.

The Englishman's 100^th Grand Prix win in Russia was overshadowed by Verstappen's brilliance in the car. The Red Bull driver went from 20^th place to finishing second due to an engine penalty.

Verstappen looked to have secured the title, winning in Mexico and the USA, withstanding the pressure of Hamilton, who finished second in both races.

Hamilton wasn't done yet, defying the odds and winning the Brazilian Grand Prix after qualifying disqualification and a five grid penalty, seeing him start the race in tenth place. Verstappen was on 332.5 points, whilst Hamilton was on 318.5.

The Mercedes driver won comfortably in Qatar and went on to do the same in Saudi Arabia in a much more controversial fashion, nearly being wiped out by Verstappen on lap 37 when the Red Bull driver slowed down dramatically as Hamilton was closing in on the overtake.

The pair were tied on 369.5 points, heading into the final race. According to formula1.com, it was the first time in 50 years that drivers had been level going into the last event.

The English driver looked set to win his record-breaking World Championship because his pace was too much for the Red Bull car in Abu Dhabi.

The ending was the most fitting tribute to capturing the whole 2021 season. A safety car emerged at the end, allowing Verstappen to pit and close in on Hamilton's huge pace advantage.

The Dutchman's fresh tires were too much for the Mercedes driver, overtaking him on turn five of the last lap to close out the victory, becoming the 2021 Formula One World Champion.