Max Verstappen put in yet another masterclass in changeable conditions, taking second at the chequered flag from 21st on the grid at the Formula 1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Over the years, Verstappen has shown a certain proclivity to pull out a sensational result in the wet.
Nowhere has this come more often for the Dutchman than at the iconic Interlagos circuit. Back in 2016, the Red Bull driver pulled off some jaw-dropping moves on the likes of Kimi Raikkonen and Nico Rosberg in utterly treacherous conditions.
In 2024, Verstappen started the rain-hit race from 15th on the grid, eventually going on to take the chequered flag in first.
And he came back to Sao Paulo with a similarly spectacular performance on Sunday.
An engine-related grid drop saw the 29-year-old start the 71-lap race from P21.
But as the lights went off, it was only a matter of time before the four-time World Champion was knocking on the doors of the top 10 on a damp yet quickly drying track.
“After the laps to the grid, I felt pretty confident,” he said.
“I went out and I was like, ‘Oh, low grip’. But then I actually had some cars around me and I was like, ‘No, I think we actually have a lot of grip’.
“Within two laps, I was just flying by cars, almost every corner. We had a lot more grip, I guess, than most in the midfield. I don’t know what lap I was in the top 10, but it all happened very quickly.”
The Red Bull issue that impeded a perfect recovery drive for Max Verstappen at Interlagos
Verstappen finished the race in second behind the MCL40 of Lando Norris.
He revealed how his stint on the Intermediate tyres was his strongest of the race, with the pace falling off once the crossover onto the slicks had been completed.
This meant he could never realistically challenge the Briton for the win.
“I knew that the balance we had was there, and that also showed in the first few laps,” he added.
“Unfortunately, that then completely disappeared after the first stint, but luckily at least in the first stint the car was working, and that allowed me to be in this position.
“We have to understand why or what went wrong with the car as soon as we went to the slick tyres, because even when I switched back to the Inter tyres at the end, the car was night and day different to my first stint, which shows that there is something wrong.”
Verstappen divulges secret to Interlagos wet-weather mastery
Looking back to his drives in 2016, 2024 and last Sunday, it is easy to find a common link in terms of his driving style.
While his rivals chose to stick to the racing line, Verstappen wasn’t afraid to experiment. Reflecting on his track record at Interlagos in the wet, the Red Bull driver surmised that it is a layout that rewards confidence and the ability to take some counterintuitive risks.
“I felt comfortable with the car, confident, just trying to find the grip in different places,” Verstappen explained.
“Then the car is ahead of me, so I try to pass them. This track, of course, also allows you to do different lines, which I think is great because it really helps the racing.
“It’s a good track in the dry and wet, and that really sets up more overtaking opportunities.
“You need to feel good in the car. You need to feel comfortable to be able to risk probably a little bit more, and it’s been working for me quite well here.”
After Sao Paulo, Verstappen has jumped Lewis Hamilton to take second place in the drivers’ standings.
READ MORE – Daniel Ricciardo hails Max Verstappen as ‘one of the best ever’
Discussion about this post