Only one person can be “first” with correct analysis of your issue. As for fulfilling your your wish, that is considerably more difficult; neither multitasking, nor individual elements of it (such as the App Shelf feature), can be disabled in iPadOS15.
Whilst respecting your viewpoint, I can only recommend that you stick with it. Besides having few alternatives, there is rationale to this suggestion…
Multitasking in iPadOS15 has taken a substantial step-forwards. The fledgling multitasking environment of iPadOS13/14 was difficult to access and functionally manage - the previous limitations have now been transformed into functions that are now easy to use. To achieve this many aspects of the User Interface (UI) controls have been heavily revised or are new; the shelf is one of the new features that, for many, feels very alien to the aesthetics and control logic to which you have become unconsciously accustomed.
As a consequence, some “adjustment” will be needed before the new reality will become second nature. Speaking personally, having worked heavily with iPad and iPadOS over many years, I believe that given a little time and perseverance you may eventually discover the benefits of the revised iPadOS15 UI.
In the meantime, Apple invite submission of constructive comment and feature requests via their Product Feedback pages. If you have suggestions for how the UI might be improved, this is perhaps the most appropriate channel to make your views known to Apple:
Product Feedback - Apple