Max Verstappen has stated his eye-catching drive to victory in Brazil was “more crucial” this time around compared to his 2016 display.

Verstappen was heavily praised for cutting through the field in 2016 en route to third place during his maiden season with Red Bull.

The Dutchman enjoyed a similar performance on Sunday in São Paulo as he claimed an emphatic victory after starting from 17th on the F1 grid.

While Verstappen ranks both drives in his top-10 career races, the 27-year-old insisted the 2024 version trumps his previous effort due to the ongoing title fight.

“Those two are definitely in my top 10 list,” Verstappen told media including RacingNews365. “But this one is definitely much more crucial than back in the day.

“There, I had nothing to lose. I was not in a championship fight, and I was coming from the back after the strategic mistake we had.

“Now there was a lot more at stake. So I had to be more controlled, more aware of the championship. So for me, definitely this one is the best.”

Verstappen explains wet weather prowess

Verstappen has long impressed in wet weather conditions, with both of his standout drives in Brazil delivered in the rain.

Explaining why he feels so confident in difficult and wet environments, Verstappen remarked it is something he picked up in his karting days.

“It’s like back in the day in go-karting, the guys that were good in the wet, they’re good nowadays also in F1,” he said.

“I was racing them as well in the go-karting and they were also good in the wet, so it definitely is a thing that you pick up when you’re younger, I think when you practice a lot.

“Where we come from, it rains a bit more than maybe in some other places. You go out there, you practice, you get more comfortable, and you are tuning your skills to be better.

“You carry that, you evolve and become even better. You use that to your advantage.”