Why is Max Verstappen so good on a wet F1 track? The World Champion reveals his tricks of the trade

Max Verstappen recently revealed in an interview what makes him so good in wet weather. He is known for his wet weather prowess. He made his first impression in the wet in 2016 when he drove a masterclass in treacherous conditions in Brazil. Since then, the driver has picked up numerous wins in wet weather and has been continuously brilliant in those conditions.

In a recent interview with GQ magazine, the Red Bull driver was asked what his secret is, to which he pointed to his origins as a racer. As a youngster, he raced in Belgium and Holland and since it used to rain a lot in those areas, he would often race in wet weather. Because of the practice he accrued over his formative years, he developed the skill to race in those conditions.

He said:

"Growing up in Belgium and Holland, it rains a lot. So, we never like turned around when it suddenly started raining. We would put the rain tires on and we would go and practice and that just helps a lot. You get a lot more understanding of what you have to do when it rains."

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Max Verstappen always had something extra in the rain: Father Jos

Max Verstappen's skills were on display this season in the wet race in Japan. Under torrential conditions where the track was just too wet, Verstappen ended up opening a gap of around 28 seconds to Sergio Perez in second place.

What was mighty impressive about this was the fact that the race was only run for around 40 minutes because of the conditions. This meant that Verstappen pulled out a second-per-lap on the second-fastest car on the grid.

Father Jos Verstappen commented on this on his blog and said that Max always had something extra in the bag in the rain. He said:

“These kind of conditions are Max’s specialty from an early age, he had something extra in the rain. I spoke to him and called him, and I already sent him a text message. I told him he is the best – but I say that almost every weekend.”

Max Verstappen has been truly sensational for the sport in the last few years and his popularity has also scaled to new heights because of this.