March 29 2021
The lead changed hands three times between the expected title contenders before Verstappen, who started on pole, chased down Hamilton in the closing stages, also overtaking the Mercedes with three laps to go as the Red Bull appeared to be laying down their championship marker. Verstappen was forced to cede the position back to Hamilton after executing the move at Turn Four while off the track. Hamilton then aced the final laps to take his first season-opening victory since 2015, giving himthe perfect start in his search of an unparalleled eighth championship.
"Firstly, can I just say it’s the first time I have seen fans in a long time, it’s so good to see people out here and everyone keeping their distance and staying safe. I’m so proud of what Formula One has been able to do, to start on a normal schedule this year and wow, what a difficult race that was! Definitely by stopping early, we knew it would be difficult, but we had to cover Max and keep the track position in the lead. They have had an amazing performance all weekend, so it was going to take something pretty special to get the win tonight. We stopped for that last stint and trying to find the right balance between pushing hard and saving tyre performance for the end of the race was difficult. And Max was all over me right at the end but I just about managed to hold him off. It was one of the hardest races I’ve had for a while so I’m really grateful for it and massively thankful for the men and the women back at the factory and here, for continuously pushing the boundaries and never giving up, even if we do feel we’re behind. But we love the challenge, I love the challenge, I love what I do." - Lewis Hamilton
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