What if Verstappen had driven the Mercedes in 2021?
The W12 was the fastest car in qualifying in 2021. Would Verstappen have won with it too?
The simulation's verdict
Max Verstappen would have won the 2021 title in 75% of the 200 simulations.
Max Verstappen
Lewis Hamilton
Who finished ahead
Based on 200 simulations of the 2021 season. Numbers can vary each time you play.
Historical context
The 2021 Mercedes W12 was a beast in qualifying and at high-speed circuits. Hamilton took it to multiple poles and wins. If Verstappen had that car and Hamilton the Red Bull, the duel would have been completely reversed. Would the Dutchman have dominated the season just as he did in later years?
The real 2021 season
The 2021 season is, for many, the most thrilling and agonising of recent decades. At last a rival emerged capable of taking on Hamilton's Mercedes: Max Verstappen and a competitive Red Bull. The duel ran, point by point, across the twenty-two races of the year. It was a no-holds-barred battle, complete with on-track collisions — Silverstone, Monza — two opposing driving philosophies and mounting tension between the two teams. Both arrived level on points at the final round, unheard of in modern history. The finale in Abu Dhabi was the most controversial in memory: after a late safety car, race director Michael Masi applied the rules in a disputed manner and allowed Verstappen, on fresh tyres, to pass Hamilton on the last lap and snatch the title. An ending that changed the regulations and marked a turning point.
Real champion: Max Verstappen in the Red Bull RB16B. Abu Dhabi final lap: Masi allows lapped cars to overtake. Verstappen passes Hamilton. Champion. See the full 2021 season →
The driver
Max Verstappen is the driver who defines Formula 1's current era. Son of former driver Jos Verstappen, he debuted in 2015 aged just 17, becoming the youngest ever to start a Grand Prix and to score points. Full profile →
How it's simulated
The engine recreates qualifying (Q1, Q2, Q3) and every Grand Prix with the ~20 real drivers of 2021, weighing each car's performance, driver skill, weather, safety cars and tyre wear. Learn how the simulator works →
Season
2021
Mode
One driver, different car
Car
Mercedes
Tags
Choose driver, car and season. The engine simulates the full championship with real drivers.