Analysis | Verstappen yet again shows he's the best in the wet and at overtaking

The most important decision for Max Verstappen’s Grand Prix was made with his team before the race actually got underway. At the first start, everyone was on intermediates, but at the restart, half the field was on slicks. The question was, who had made the right call?

It turned out the teams on intermediates had made the best choice. Red Bull Racing was spot on with both drivers, allowing Max Verstappen to immediately shake off the Ferraris and McLarens who had opted for mediums and softs.

It didn’t become a straightforward run to victory, however, due to yet another poor start this season. While teammate Isack Hadjar got away well, Verstappen again had a dreadful launch. The same couldn’t be said for Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, who flew straight past Verstappen.

It was then crucial for Verstappen’s race that he kept Liam Lawson behind through the opening sequence of corners. The New Zealander applied serious pressure, but Verstappen’s aggressive defending kept him in P3. Since overtaking is difficult in wet conditions, this was important for Verstappen to stay in touch with the Mercedes drivers.

In the opening laps it became clear that Verstappen could comfortably match Russell and Antonelli’s pace. It didn’t take long before Verstappen could attack Russell. There Verstappen once again showcased his superiority in the wet. Like no other, he finds racing lines to pass opponents. Russell could only watch, in a fashion reminiscent of Verstappen’s legendary wet-weather drives in Brazil.

Antonelli looked next in line, but he managed to hold Verstappen off through the first corners for one lap. That proved important, because in that same lap Valtteri Bottas slid off the track and triggered a safety car. Everyone pitted, which meant Verstappen remained stuck behind Antonelli.

At the restart, however, Verstappen once again displayed his class as an overtaking master. He was already on Antonelli’s gearbox down the straight and swept around the outside of Turn 1. That became the inside for Turn 2, after which he firmly took the lead heading to Turn 3. Russell also passed Antonelli, but would lose that second place again not much later.

On Lap 33, Red Bull reacted as a leading team should. The Austrian squad simply waited until Russell and Antonelli came in. With a lead of nearly 10 seconds, Verstappen had the luxury of patience. By waiting, he emerged from his stop still in the lead. Verstappen chose the soft tyre again for the second stint, just like the Mercedes drivers who had swapped their mediums for softs.

Verstappen then held his lead fairly comfortably, but dived into the pits during the Virtual Safety Car. For a moment it looked like Verstappen might relinquish the lead, but a lap later Antonelli and Mercedes gave it up by pitting as well. The rest of the top five also came in. The VSC then became a full safety car, which allowed Verstappen to keep the lead, albeit with his advantage erased.

After an extremely long safety car period, during which Russell also retired, Verstappen nailed the restart. The Dutchman went early and clearly caught Antonelli off guard. The Italian did everything he could to stay with Verstappen, but a flurry of fastest laps from the four-time champion opened a one-second gap before Antonelli could mount an attack.

That’s how Verstappen clinched his first victory of 2026. The key decision came before the second start, when Red Bull and Verstappen opted for intermediates. After a poor getaway, Verstappen once again proved he is the very best when it comes to overtaking and racing in wet conditions. A more than deserved 72nd career win for the Dutchman.