2021 certainly was an… Interesting year, to say the least. That’s especially the case when Formula 1 is being brought up. I mean, not with such a controversial and divisive finale to top off what had been a fantastic season. The final, deciding race of F1’s 2021 edition was highly anticipated, and this all came down to the wire until the last few laps. And, wow, were some (very) questionable decisions made.
It’s fair to say that fans and spectators alike won’t be forgetting that for a little while. Even hearing it from someone who doesn’t tend to get overly heated in these debates, I still felt betrayed. And no, it’s not because I support one driver or the other. But, because rules were set in stone, designed clearly to fairly crown a winner when it comes down to it. Yet, those same rules were cast completely aside.
All for an arbitrary decision by the race director. Still, Max Verstappen had an incredible drive through the whole season, and he’s properly deserving of becoming the new World Champion. Nonetheless, I still felt dirty about how that ended. Although, I’m no expert in this sport, of course. So, why not get a hot take from Sky Sport’s own Johnny Herbert. He’s a veteran of both Formula 1 and sports car racing.
Oh, not to mention having rubbed shoulders with the one and only, Michael Schumacher. If you need someone to tell you what’s up, why not get it from Schumi’s old teammate. Well, that’s exactly what went down, as Johnny Herbert spoke with Betway about what’s going on at F1. In short, he’s (as with most of us, I’m sure) glad that F1 has been taking some notes. A reset, he says, is necessary.
The Sport Now Has To Reset
Johnny Herbert was just as peeved about the whole thing as we are. He noted the huge hype around the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Understandably, a clash of titans with this much caliber had a lot of potential to become an exciting season. For most of the year, this truly had an opportunity to be one of the most legendary seasons that’ll echo through F1’s long, long history.
Despite all that build-up, it just had to come crashing down. Johnny Herbert said the disappointment isn’t just bubbling amidst long-time F1 fans. However, it also echoed with some of F1’s younger and newer audience, who’s just been introduced into the sport. Now, they’re feeling disillusioned after a sport that they’re just about to fall in love with may have instead left them with a very bitter note.
With all that in mind, Johnny Herbert sees a whole lot of sense (and upsides) for F1 to give said race director, Michael Masi, the ax. He told Betway that F1 needs to restore that trust. Not just with the fans and spectators. But also between racing drivers and those race directors who manage entire races. For now, he’s hoping that an equally tantalizing 2022 season could help solve that for good.
Would we see another close call between Lewis and Max? Most likely, Johnny Herbert says, but that doesn’t mean that we should discount the other teams, as well. He’s got a particular eye for how the rest of the line-up, such as McLaren and Ferrari, would fare this year around.