Top 5 F1 drivers in wet weather in the 2024 season

The 2024 F1 season is currently going through the summer break and that gives us time to look back at how the season has fared so far. Wet weather driving is something that is considered a litmus test for talented and skilled drivers. It is often said that these are the conditions where the car advantage goes out of the window.

While there is certainly some merit to it, this is not entirely true. A good car will continue to be impressive, irrespective of the wet or dry conditions. Some characteristics would make a car better or worse, but wet weather does not necessarily make everything a level playing field.

The 2024 F1 season has so far seen four races where rain had an impact. The races in China, Canada, Spa, and Silverstone were impacted by rain and had some very interesting results. In this feature, we will rank the top 5 drivers based on their performances in these conditions.

#5 George Russell (Mercedes F1)

George Russell finds himself in P5 in the rankings. He had a poor qualifying in China. He also didn't have the best one in Spa. He did, however, have a good run in both Silverstone and Canada. He was arguably the fastest in Montreal, but the error-riddled performance cost him.

The Mercedes driver was compromised by a faulty power unit in Silverstone and he held the lead in that race too, for as long as he could. George would be looking to take another step overall in the wet weather, as he's possibly lagging behind his teammate in these conditions.

#4 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes F1)

This might come as a surprise but we've placed Lewis Hamilton at P4. The reasoning behind it is the fact that while there were occasions when the driver was quite impressive, there were other points where he left a lot on the table. His qualifying lap for the sprint in China was very impressive.

At the same time, his race in Canada was just not up to par. The race in Silverstone is remembered for Lewis breaking the win drought but the same race weekend saw him comprehensively get outpaced in qualifying. The race saw all three of his primary challengers for the race win compromised.

While Russell struggled with a power unit issue from very early in the race, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were compromised by their respective strategies as well. The result looks brilliant on paper for Lewis but it could have slipped out of his hands if things hadn't fallen into place for him.

#3 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

Fernando Alonso has not had the best of seasons overall and a part of that has to do with the fact that the Spaniard's team continues to regress in the pecking order. Having said that, whenever rain makes an appearance, one of the drivers who stands up and makes it count is Alonso.

Just like Lewis, he had a good run in China. He scored a decent haul of points in Canada and then had an impressive race in Spa as well, where he made the most of the car in tricky conditions.

He didn't have the best of weekends in Silverstone, but he brought home the points that were on the table. The Spaniard has been limited by the F1 car under him but has still made the most of the opportunities provided.

#2 Lando Norris (McLaren)

It's a major revelation that if it were not for McLaren messing up Lando Norris' strategy in both Silverstone and Canada, the driver would have won both races. Lando has not got the credit that he deserves for his driving this season and has been a target of a lot of hate from different corners.

None of that can, however, take away the fact that the F1 driver has been brilliant in the tricky conditions and finds himself as the second-best driver in the wet weather this season.

#1 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

At the top, we have Max Verstappen and it's safe to say that the Dutch driver has been brilliant this F1 season, even though things have not gone his way sometimes. The car didn't have the pace in Silverstone, but it was his ability to make the right calls and stick it out that helped him secure a P2 finish. At Spa, that lap from Max was just brilliant, to say the least.

In Canada, Verstappen could just not make mistakes and pull out the gap when he needed to which ultimately helped him secure a win. The driver continues to overdeliver in his Red Bull and is still the benchmark in F1.