Verstappen earns huge praise: “One of the best in the rain”

Few drivers command as much respect in wet conditions as Max Verstappen, and former Formula 1 race engineer Mark Slade believes the Dutchman belongs among the very best

to ever handle a car in the rain. Speaking on Peter Windsor’s YouTube channel, Slade, who has worked with legends like Michael Schumacher, Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikkönen, explained what makes Verstappen so special when grip disappears.

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“He just has that control”

Windsor asked whether Verstappen’s skill with throttle modulation gives him an edge in wet races. Slade, who has spent over three decades engineering elite drivers, didn’t hesitate. “I can’t recall ever seeing a massive difference between drivers in those conditions,” he said,

“but there’s no doubt that low-grip tracks separate the greats from the good. Max is one of those who can control the car in ways others can’t.”

Slade added that Verstappen’s ability to read changing conditions is key to his dominance in the rain. “He knows exactly how much grip there is before anyone else does,” he said. “He adapts immediately. You can see it when others are sliding, Max finds the limit almost instinctively.”

Comparing eras of mastery

Having worked with Schumacher, Räikkönen, Häkkinen, and Alonso, Slade has a unique perspective on how different generations of drivers approach difficult conditions. “You could say the same about Lewis Hamilton,” he noted. “He’s also brilliant in the wet. But the overall level in Formula 1 today is so high that the gaps are smaller. Most of the difference now comes from the cars themselves rather than the drivers.”

That’s not to say Verstappen’s brilliance should be downplayed. According to Slade, what stands out is how he combines precision with aggression, a rare mix even among champions. “He’s calm when others are panicking. That’s the mark of a driver who completely trusts his instincts and the car.”

A long career of perspective

Slade’s career stretches back to the 1990s. He engineered Mika Häkkinen to his 1998 world title with McLaren, later working with Räikkönen, Alonso, and Schumacher at Mercedes. More recently, he served as Kevin Magnussen’s race engineer at Haas before leaving Formula 1 in 2024.

That wealth of experience gives weight to his words, and his admiration for Verstappen is clear. “I’ve seen many greats handle the rain,” he said, “but Max is right there with them. If not at the top.”

The complete driver

For Verstappen, such praise is nothing new. His wet-weather drives, from Brazil 2016 to Monaco 2023, have already entered modern F1 folklore. As Slade suggests, rain doesn’t expose Verstappen’s weaknesses; it amplifies his strengths. When the world slips and slides, he’s at his most untouchable.