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The 2022 F1 season was not as blessed as the 2021 one when it came to rain making an intervention and spicing things up.
Nevertheless, there were still a few races and sessions that saw rain disruptions, and to be fair, they did spice things up. The 2022 season saw some impressive drives from some of the usual suspects whom you can expect to shine when the heavens open up and some surprise contenders as well.
So, which were some of the best drives in the wet? Let's find out the top five wet weather drives of the season:
#5 Sebastian Vettel (P6 in F1 Japanese GP)
Sebastian Vettel had a surprisingly brilliant season with Aston Martin. If it was not for their rather incompetent strategic unit, he could have ended with a higher points tally.
There were quite a few races where the German pulled off impressive drives and punched above the weight of the car he was in. One of the races where Vettel turned back the clock was during an emotional weekend in Suzuka, Japan.
The love from fans in that part of the world spurred Vettel to fend off the fast-charging Fernando Alonso on fresh intermediates and George Russell in a Ferrari to secure P6.
The highlight of the race was the battle between Vettel and Alonso at the finish line in the last lap of the race. That was truly a sign of two elites battling it out for the best result for their respective team.
#4 Lando Norris (P4 in F1 Singapore GP)
Lando Norris driving a McLaren and sticking it in places where it had no business to beis not talked about enough. The young British driver was a silent performer who put the car in places where it did not deserve to be, and he did that regularly this season.
The race in Singapore was one such example. McLaren were under the pump from Alpine in the fight for P4 in the championship. Most of the legwork and heavy lifting was done by Norris, as his teammate (Daniel Ricciardo) struggled all season.
The race in Singapore saw a wet track and a demand for utmost precision and care. Norris kept his nose clean for the most part, keeping the Alpine of Fernando Alonso in check before finishing P4. For a McLaren driver, it was a sensational result that gave the team a big boost in their battle against Alpine.
#3 Esteban Ocon (P4 in F1 Japanese GP)
Esteban Ocon does not get much love from fans. The French driver is not one of the most followed drivers on social media. He was the easy target of abuse from fans whenever he tangled with his teammate Fernando Alonso.
However, Ocon outscoring his teammate this season was not the only highlight, as one of his most impressive drives in 2022 came in the Japanese GP in Suzuka.
The French driver trailed his teammate all weekend in terms of outright speed but with a stunning turnaround in qualifying, he outqualified not only Alonso but also the two Mercedes drivers. The race saw Ocon holding firm in wet weather against the charge of Lewis Hamilton.
Ocon held off the seven-time world champion for 28 laps while driving a midfield contender like Alpine in wet conditions. This was one of the performances that showed how good the French driver can be against the elites.
#2 Sergio Perez (P1 in F1 Singapore GP)
Sergio Perez did not often make the most of the Red Bull machinery this season. Scoring 11 podiums all season when Max Verstappen had 15 wins is a damning statistic. Nevertheless, what was still very impressive to see was the one-off occasion when Verstappen had trouble, and Perez took the initiative.
That was on display in Singapore when rain arrived the start of the race and put everybody on the back foot. Sergio Perez, seizing the lead at the start, never looked back. The Mexican withstood pressure from Charles Leclerc all race and pulled away from the Ferrari driver to secure his second win of the season.
#1 Max Verstappen (P1 in F1 Japanese GP)
Finishing 27 seconds ahead of the driver in second place in a 28-lap race is just spectacular, to say the least. Doing that in wet weather conditions where driver skill is paramount, and you cannot afford to put a foot wrong makes it even more impressive.
The Japanese GP was run in fading light and torrential conditions. What we saw in that race was a driver who was at one with the car and was just unbeatable. It's not often that we see that happen, and it's not often it happens in a stacked field with three multiple world champions and countless race winners.
The performance in wet weather in Suzuka from Verstappen was something special and will go down as one of the best performances of his career. Following the win, he also secured his second straight world championship with four races to go.
