Why Max Verstappen destroys his rivals in the rain | F1 Explainer

Why is Max Verstappen so good in the rain? The Red Bull driver charged from P21 to P2 in the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos. He won there from P17 in 2024 and passed Nico Rosberg round the outside on his way to the podium in 2016. How does Verstappen keep finding grip when his rivals are struggling for it?

We go back to the kart track, where Jos Verstappen made Max stay out in the rain, even on slicks. We break down how Max finds grip off the usual racing line, how he controls his Red Bull on the limit and why his rivals struggle to copy his lines in the wet. We also look at what he has in common with Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, two of Formula 1’s greatest wet-weather drivers.