When the José Carlos Pace Circuit is mentioned, Ayrton Senna’s legendary feats in front of his home fans immediately come to mind. But in modern Formula 1, the home master is undoubtedly the four-time world champion.

The Dutchman, who has claimed three wins in Brazil — including back-to-back victories in 2023 and 2024 — is remembered for pulling off some of his most memorable feats and moves on the very track that made Senna a legend, many of them achieved under torrential rain.

Just think of his overtake around the outside on Nico Rosberg in 2016, when a then very young Verstappen, in his first year with Red Bull, immediately showed the world what he was made of, displaying an extraordinary wet-weather driving sensitivity.

Or even more recently, there was last year’s sensational comeback, when the Dutchman started from seventeenth on the grid and already looked written off—not just for the win, but even for a podium—before the race had begun.

Even today, these two races are remembered as some of the greatest feats in sports history, a testament to the driver’s ability to make a difference regardless of the car. In both 2016 and last year, Verstappen didn’t have the best machinery—especially in the first instance, when he was up against one of the most dominant cars ever seen.

Even last year, at the end of the season, McLaren had pulled ahead of Red Bull performance-wise, but that Sunday neither Piastri nor Norris could do anything against a Verstappen in sublime form.

History looks set to repeat itself this weekend, at least on paper. The MCL39 heads to Brazil buoyed by McLaren’s commanding win with Lando Norris in Mexico, a triumph that saw him cross the line 30 seconds ahead of the runner-up and firmly underlined McLaren’s strength over its rivals.

Although the RB21 has clearly made strides in recent races, as the results show, Verstappen is technically the underdog in Brazil on a dry track. But if the rain comes, the story could change drastically—potentially playing out much like last year’s script.

Adding to that is the fact that all the pressure rests squarely on Norris and Piastri—and in tricky conditions, letting that pressure get to you is the last thing you want. By contrast, the four-time world champion knows he has nothing to lose and can even afford to take a few extra risks.

Rain looks set to dominate once again this weekend, shaking up the running order and potentially throwing up some big surprises in the title fight with just four races to go.

Brazil will also see the return of the sprint format, where Verstappen delivered an almost flawless weekend in Austin last time—and he’ll be hoping to repeat the feat at Interlagos.