Weather forecast | Verstappen possibly from pole in the rain at Imola

According to Weather.com it is more than likely that it will rain in the hours before the race. There are many showers around the circuit of Imola and from about 11:30 those showers can start falling. This will certainly last until the clock of 14:00, after which the showers will move away.

This means that the drivers in the premier class of motor sport could well start the fourth Grand Prix of this year on a soaking wet surface. During the race it is expected that the full wets or intermediates can be exchanged for slicks, as the track will dry relatively quickly.

Whether driving on a wet track is to Verstappen's advantage remains to be seen. Of course, he did manage to win qualifying in the rain on Friday, so at least the Dutchman feels good in the wet, but the same is actually true for Charles Leclerc. Like Verstappen, the Ferrari driver was invariably at the top of the time rankings.

The sprint race has shown that Verstappen and Sergio Perez with their RB18 seem to have an advantage especially in terms of tire degradation, as Ferrari suffers from graining. That advantage will be much less the moment rain tires are put under the F1 cars. Of course, tire management also plays a role then, but to a much lesser extent.

Moreover, there is the risk of the start. A lot of wheelspin is lurking and that is exactly something Verstappen had to deal with in Saturday's sprint race. If the 24-year old Dutchman has another bad start, the consequences on a wet track are much bigger. At the same time, the same goes for Leclerc of course: he too will have to get off the line well.