Formula One announces new award for overtaking, says Vettel leading the race

F1 said that the award was "designed to celebrate the bravery exhibited by drivers who make bold moves in pursuit of success" in a statement.

Sebastian Vettel in an Aston Martin Car. (Image Credit: Twitter)
By Nilavro Ghosh | Aug 24, 2021 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Formula One (F1) announced a new award for drivers on Tuesday. The award is called the Crypto.com Overtake Award and it will be presented to the driver with the most overtakes at the end of the season. F1 said that the award was “designed to celebrate the bravery exhibited by drivers who make bold moves in pursuit of success” in a statement they released on their official website. The announcement has garnered mixed reactions so far, with some social media critics stating that it was a reward for poor qualifying since top drivers who do not do well in qualifying were likely to overtake a large number of cars to get to the front of the field.

As per F1, former world champion and current Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel is the one who has completed the most overtakes this season so far. However, no figures have been given as of yet. New broadcast graphics are all set to appear live during the races to highlight overtaking possibilities and to keep fans up to date with the standings. The winner will be presented with a trophy at the end of the season.

‘ENHANCES THE RELATIONSHIP’

As per the statement released on the F1 website, the new award is one that enhances the relationship between F1 and Crypto.com, which the statement says was the world’s fastest-growing cryptocurrency platform. They became F1’s seventh Global Partner and Title Partner of the three F1 Sprint Events this season. The first one took place at the Silverstone circuit before the British GP. After receiving positive feedback from fans and investors, F1 has confirmed that Monza and Sao Paulo will host the other two sprint events.

“We’re delighted to be expanding our partnership with Crypto.com as we introduce the Overtake Award which will integrate the brand into Formula 1 throughout the season, in addition to the title partnership of the F1 Sprint Events. The Crypto.com Overtake Award gives us the chance to celebrate drivers’ instincts to make bold and strategic moves which reflects the qualities needed when dealing in cryptocurrency,” said Ben Pincus, Director of Commercial Partnerships at Formula 1.

Steve Kalifowitz, CMO of Crypto.com, also gave a statement in which he said that he was extremely proud to be introducing a ‘first-of-a-kind award in the sport. “We are extremely proud to be introducing a first of its kind award to Formula 1. We strive to create partnerships that deliver win-win-win opportunities and I can’t think of a more perfect opportunity than the Crypto.com Overtake Award. This award allows our values to shine through celebrating the moments where drivers exhibit the bravery required to get ahead. This season has already seen some amazing overtakes, and I can’t wait to see who this year’s champion is,” he said.

F1 TO RETURN ON AUGUST 29

F1 has been on summer break ever since the chaotic Hungarian GP which saw Alpine driver Esteban Ocon win the first F1 race of his career. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished second. Fans have been waiting eagerly for the season to resume. The next race will be on August 29 at the iconic Spa circuit for the Belgian GP.