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Max Verstappen has outlined why he performs well in wet conditions ahead of a potentially rain-affected Belgian Grand Prix weekend, pointing to his formative karting years in the Netherlands and Belgium. The four-time world champion, currently seventh in the standings and trailing leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli by 103 points, is hoping for a reset at Spa-Francorchamps after a difficult run of form that included disappointment at Silverstone.
Speaking with a smile during the Thursday press conference, Verstappen traced his confidence in the wet back to childhood. "In Belgium and the Netherlands it rains a lot, so one of my first races was on a wet track," he said. He credited his father Jos with early tuition in changeable conditions. "I remember even when I was four, I was already practising with my dad. I almost hit him in the wet because I was going too fast."
Verstappen's willingness to link his current struggles to a weekend where rain may play a role is revealing. He has endured a season marked by unreliability and underwhelming results, and Spa offers both a circuit where he has historically been strong and conditions that may neutralise some of the car deficit he faces. Rain at Spa tends to reward those who can manage corner-entry commitment and brake feel on a track with dramatic elevation changes and high-speed compression zones. Verstappen's early exposure to low-grip karting appears to have ingrained those instincts.
Albon and Ocon share similar formative years
Alex Albon, Verstappen's former Red Bull teammate now driving for Williams, echoed the Dutchman's experience. "The Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom have the same weather, so I remember karting in the rain a lot as a kid, and back then I just wanted to drift," the Thai-British driver said. Albon's comment underscores a broader point about Northern European drivers: many have thousands of laps in marginal grip before they reach single-seaters, a foundation that can prove decisive when Formula 1 races turn unpredictable.
Esteban Ocon, now with Haas, described even harsher conditions during his karting days in France. "I remember driving in the rain, sometimes it wasn't even wet but snowing. I had to do three or four laps and then stop because my hands were blue," he said. "When I was young, I probably did more laps in the rain than on a dry circuit." Ocon's account highlights the financial and logistical reality of karting in Europe: track time is expensive, and you race in whatever weather you are given.
Championship context sharpens the stakes
Verstappen's situation this season is unfamiliar. He sits seventh in the standings, well adrift of Antonelli, who has taken full advantage of a strong Mercedes package. Red Bull's performance window has narrowed, and Verstappen has struggled with both reliability and car balance in recent rounds. Spa represents a chance to arrest that slide, particularly if rain disrupts the usual pecking order and rewards driver sensitivity over raw downforce.
Weather forecasts suggest intermittent showers across the weekend, with Sunday carrying the highest probability of wet running. Should conditions turn, Verstappen will be among the favourites to capitalise, not through hope but through a skill set developed over two decades in the rain. His grin during Thursday's press conference may have been light-hearted, but the subtext was clear: if it rains, he believes he has an advantage.
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