The 2021 title run-in promises to be onꦑe of the most exciting conclusion to a Formula 1 season i🍒n years. 

After trading the championship lead no 🧔fewer than six times across the opening 16 events of the season, six points 🍰is all that separates Max Verstappen from Lewis Hamilton going into the remaining six rounds. 

Mercedes has some breathing space in the constructors’ battle, boasting the b🐬igg⛎est lead seen so far this year with a 36-point advantage over Red Bull. 

But with the competitive picture almost too close to call between Mercedes and Red Bull - and with momentum expected to swing ꦜback and forth across races in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi ꦕ- fine margins will likely determine the outcome of this year’s championship. 

It could also♊ be decided by several factors outside of the two title protagonists’ control. 

Reliability and bad luck

Rel𒅌iability is the biggest concern lingering over both Mercedes and Red Bull heading into the c🔴losing stages of the season. 

This is especially the ဣcase for Mercedes, with the team admitting it is trying to “contain” an issue with its internal combustion engine that forced Valtteri Bottas to use a new engine at back-to-back races at Monza and Sochi.

Hamilton was hit with a 10-pl🧸ace grid penalty last time out in Turkey after Mercedes fitted a fourth ICE into his car in ♋the hope it will carry him through the rest of the campaign and reduce the risk of a failure. 

A DNF for either Hamilton or Verstappen at th𓃲is late stage of the season would be catastrophic and l🌺ikely title-defining. 

Verstappen was also forced to take a new engine in Russia, but this was the result of accident damage caused in his race-ending crash in the British GP following contact with Hamilton, rather 🅠than due to reliability worrie🎃s. 

The Red Bull driveܫr has suffered two retirements this year - his crash at Silverstone and a tangle in the Italian GP that also wiped out Hamilton for his only DNF of 2👍021 to date. 

Verstappen also failed to take the chequered flag in Azerbaijan following a dramatic tyre blowout🌠, but was classified 18th after completing over 90% of the race distance. 

The role of the ‘no.2’ drivers

The fate oꦆf t🧸he world championship could ultimately be decided by Verstappen and Hamilton’s teammates. 

Hamilton’s Mercedes stablemate Valtteri Bottas finally got off the mark in 2021 with his first victory in over a year last time out at the Turkish GP with a dominant performance in wet conditions.&nb🍬sp;

It was an important result for Mercedes, en💟abling the team to extend its lead over Red Bull. Bottas also pr💫evented Verstappen from scoring eight extra points on a day Hamilton was consigned to a recovery effort. 

Bottas kept Verstappen behind with a convincing drive that was a stark contrast to his rather feeble attempt to slow the Dutchman’s progress in Russia💖, underlining Bottas’ frustrating inconsistency this year. 

But ever since Bottas’ Alfa Ro♉meo deal was announced ahead of the Italian GP, no other driver has scored more points than the Finn, whose upswing in form comes at the perfect time for ♊Mercedes’ championship aspirations. 

But there could be equally good news for Red Bull if Sergio Perez’s impressive drive to the podium in Tur♔key proves to be a tꦍurning point in what has been a challenging first year alongside Verstappen. 

Perez followed Verstappen home in third place in Turkey and also delayed Hamilton’s charge wi🅠th a mighty defence. Red Bull will be hoping he can continue to get in the mix at the very front more often in the final races to 🅠help boost Verstappen’s title bid. 

Any points - including for setting the fa🌺stest lap - that either Bottas or Perez can take away from their teamma𝄹te’s respective rivals will be crucial. 

A competitive midfield 

Could an improving Mc🔴Laren and Ferrari also have a say in the destiny of this year’s world title? 

Turkey aside, McLaren has been in contention for both pole positions and victories in receꦫnt races and has some circuits coming up that should suit its 2021 car and potentiality provide Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo with the opportunity to mix it up towards the front.🎶 

Monza, where Ricciardo landed McLaren’s first victory in nearly 10 years and Norris held up Hamilton in both the sprint and main grand prix, was a prime example of how McLaren could disrupt the title battle, albeit at a circuit where overtaking proved to be particula꧙rly difficult.&nb🧸sp;

Ferrari have also come on strong as the year has progressed, especially since int♐rไoducing its upgraded power unit in Russia. 

If Nꦇorris, Ricciardo, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz and potentially even AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly can extract the maximum from their cars on a rare off day for eit𝕴her Verstappen or Hamilton in qualifying, they could prove to be a frustrating - and potentially costly - obstacle.