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A wet weather drive is not every F1 driver's forte. The harsh and challenging racing tracks around the world are a big test in themselves. Driving around these famed circuits at a speed of 300 km/hr or more for 50-plus laps consistently is not for the faint-hearted.
These drivers need laser-like precision to not only master every corner but also to pull out the cleanest/fastest entries and exits. However, rain is not exactly a friend to either these pilots or the F1 tracks. The wet weather ultimately makes the situation worse for the top teams, where a lot solely depends on the driver's skill.
However, a wet race never fails to deliver great entertainment. In fact, over the years, almost every time, some legendary driver has managed to pull off a magical drive. Further, it is safe to say that it is indeed a wet race that separates F1's good drivers from its very greats.
A look at Ayrton Senna, James Hunt, and others' wet drives in F1
1) Ayrton Senna's drive to the F1 1993 European Grand Prix victory
Ayrton Senna is widely regarded as an all-time great in motorsports. While he has had many moments of brilliance, the Brazilian's stellar display of pure talent at the '93 European GP remains a career-high.
Senna qualified in P4 driving with McLaren Ford during the GP. The race had not even begun and raindrops started to appear on drivers' visors. Senna, however, was an exceptional talent during these conditions and managed a shocking five-car overtake before the conclusion of Lap 1.
He initially lost a place to Karl Wendlinger but pushed ahead just as quickly. He then prodded his McLaren ahead of Michael Schumacher and Wendlinger again by turn 2. By this point, he was quite far ahead of them already.
By turn 3, Damon Hill also became the victim of a beautiful inside move by the Brazilian, who then charged on to overtake Alain Prost next. Senna won the race with an 83-second margin over second-placed Damon Hill. The race's first lap has since been known as "The Lap of the Gods."
2) Jim Clark's one-handed 1963 F1 Belgian Grand Prix brilliance
The F1 1963 Belgian GP is not only one of the finest races for racing legend Jim Clark but also for motorsports. The Scot pulled off an other-worldly drive that saw him win the GP in appallingly wet conditions from being 8th on the grid.
Ahead of the race, the driver found his Lotus to be in bad shape (oversteering and with gearbox issues) since it was still set up for the Monaco GP. The driver, however, somehow charged ahead to take P1 until he found trouble with the gear. His Lotus jumped out of fifth gear at 9,500 rpm. Consequently, Clark was obliged to drive left-handed as he managed the lever with the right during heavy rainfall.
By then, Clark was ahead of F1 great Graham Hill (P2) and had the tough task of holding him back while driving with one hand. His gearbox problems worsened as he resorted to finally putting the car in the fourth one. However, it wasn't until Hill retired from the race with his own gearbox issues that Clark was able to ease off.
Notably, that day the driver lapped the entire field up to the third place and managed to finish off with a 5-minute gap over second-placed Bruce McLaren.
3) James Hunt's titanic efforts during the 1976 F1 title showdown with Niki Lauda
The epic 1976 F1 season was a fierce battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Shockingly, the titular battle would come down to the last race at Fuji. Lauda, by this point, was just three points ahead of his British rival.
However, the race would change the course of the year's championship. After witnessing treacherous conditions around the track, where water was flooded in some areas of the track, several drivers refused to participate in the wet Japanese GP. Lauda also retired from the race on the second lap.
Hunt, who had qualified on P2, was running in second and just needed a top-four finish. However, a tire puncture saw him fall down the pecking order to a P5. With just two laps to go, Hunt charged to a brilliant P3 finish despite facing countless problems on the day and being under immense pressure. Somehow, the Briton delivered and became the world champion by a mere point advantage.
4) Damon Hill's greatest F1 performance at the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix
The 1994 F1 Japanese GP remains a very iconic race for several reasons. The most important being that Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher were barely five points apart by this point, with Hill needing to win the GP at any cost.
The Briton qualified in P2 while Schumacher was the pole sitter. Further during the race, torrential rain approached the track with several cars crashing out due to aquaplaning. Later on, Martin Brundle's big crash completely red-flagged the race.
When it restarted, the momentum swung between Schumacher and Hill, where the Briton eventually led the race with a lead of 10.1s at the chequered flag. Hill's brilliant drive put him ahead of Schumacher's 6.8s lead when the red flag was shown and the Briton won by 3.3s on aggregate. Aggregate race time was used to determine the winner that season.
5) Jackie Stewart's memorable F1 race at the 1968 Nurburgring track
The 1969 German Grand Prix is widely regarded as Jackie Stewart's best race ever. The Scotsman agreed with this too and called the race a "teeth-gritting effort" in his autobiography.
Stewart could not better anything beyond P6 with his Matra MS10 in wet conditions during qualifying. However, during the race, the Scot moved up by five places and even overtook Graham Hill by the end of Lap 1. He ultimately managed a brilliant 34-second lead over Hill and by the time the race ended (on Lap 14), he was 4 minutes ahead of the Briton.
It was a magnanimous effort by Stewart, who reported poor visibility on the day and on a track, which is widely regarded as the most dangerous one in F1.
These were some of the most brilliant wet weather drives in F1, where all these drivers delivered great results despite immense pressure and treacherous conditions.
