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via Reuters

via Reuters

The 2021 F1 season was indeed a season full of criticisms, with Mercedes and Red Bull firing accusations toward each other. And this warfare lasted till the very last race of the campaign in Abu Dhabi. But, more often than not, it was the name Mercedes that ended up making the headlines.

Until the summer break, Red Bull had remained rather calm, as Max Verstappen looked superior to Lewis Hamilton. However, then arrived the dramatic turnaround that irked the Milton Keynes outfit, as they started hunting for ways to cripple their rivals through accusations of breaching the FIA rulebook.

via Reuters

The verbal accusations hit a peak over the Brazilian GP weekend where Red Bull noticed something fishy about Hamilton’s rear wing. And that was the only time the accusations ended in favor of Red Bull, with the 7-time world champion facing disqualification from the qualifying session.

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What’s more, Red Bull’s suspicions did not just restrict to Hamilton’s rear wing but also his engine, which looked dominant all of a sudden. There were threats of protesting against the rear wing and engine, but, eventually, the heat subsided.

Watch Story: Lewis Hamilton’s Biggest F1 Crashes

Red Bull F1 advisor admits Mercedes were within limits

Weeks after the season concluded, Red Bull F1 advisor, Dr. Helmut Marko, admitted that Mercedes were playing within the limits throughout the season.

Well, I’m sure that everything was legal at the races to Brazil,” he said according to Motorsport Total. “The way Hamilton flew past us was a unique situation. All of the top speed measurements were then back in the frame.”

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via Reuters

Marko further acknowledged that the Mercedes engine at the back of Hamilton’s car was never illegal, rather just simply at its best. Along with the conditions, the engine managed to fit perfectly into the car, consequently producing an ecstatic pace. “Everything fit together perfectly on this engine, we know that too.

But it was just amazing, there are six Mercedes-powered vehicles and only Hamilton had such a miracle weapon. But that’s the way it is and we don’t want to blame anything,” he concluded.

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Overall, the speculations have finally ended! Neither Mercedes nor Red Bull crossed the limit at any point in the 2021 season. Hence, will the two teams continue to scrape the limits over the upcoming season? We’ll know in time.

Read More: Do F1 Cars have a Clutch?