2021 Formula One Emilia Romagna Grand Prix In recent years, Formula One racing had often been a boring, predictable procession. Going into each race weekend, the same team — the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team — was likely to emerge victorious. In motorsports it is difficult to attract a large, enthusiastic audience — live or in-person — when one participant consistently overwhelms all others, yet that is precisely what Formula One racing had become. Barring some unlikely problem, Lewis Hamilton would probably win each weekend. Lewis and his Mercedes were dominant. Late last year, however, Red Bull Racing Honda’s Max Verstappen was coming on strong to challenge Mercedes’ dominance.