Verstappen compares recovery race to 2016: 'Then I had nothing to lose'
Red Bull Content Pool
F1 News
Max Verstappen completed an impressive drive during the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix, by winning the race from 17th on the grid. A driver has only won a race from 17th or lower on the grid five times in the history of the sport. Verstappen has compared his win to a previous recovery drive in Brazil. Namely, 2016 when Verstappen started from 16th to finish on the podium.
In 2016, Verstappen proved he had the qualities of a top F1 driver in wet conditions. Does Verstappen believe the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix helped him gain experience for the recovery race in 2024?
"For sure," the three-time world champion said. "Those two are definitely on my top 10 list but this one is definitely much more crucial than back in the day. There I had nothing to lose. I was not in a championship fight and I was coming from the back after the strategic mistake we had. Now there was a lot more at stake so I had to be more controlled and more aware of the championship, so for me this one is the best one."
Why Verstappen is good in wet conditions
Verstappen has benefited a lot from the fact that he also used to train a lot in the rain. "I just said to Esteban as well, back in the day in go-karting, the guys that were good in the wet, they're good nowadays also in Formula 1. I was racing them as well in the go-karting, and they were also good in the wet. It definitely is a thing that you pick up when you're younger," he added.
He continued: "I think where we come from, it definitely rains a bit more than maybe in some other places. You go out there, you practice, you get more comfortable and you are definitely tuning your skills to be better. And I think you carry that and of course, you evolve and become even better. And you use that to your advantage," said the World Championship leader.
This article has been created in collaboration with Corwin Kunst