The 2026 Formula One season ran the first fifteen rounds without a drop of rain falling during any on track session. Then came the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia and the heavens opened just prior to the start of Sunday’s race.
Some 90 minutes later the race finally began but not before the FIA’s software regulations for the complex hybrid engines had been pushed beyond their limits. Just six days later and moments before the start of the Sprint, a monsoon style downpour arrived above the Marina Bay Circuit in Singapore.
Again the race start was delayed and even with the rain stopping quickly, it was thirty five minutes before the Sprint got underway – with Martin Brundle commenting the FIA again appeared to play it too safe.
The Paradox of the Full Wet Tyre
Pirelli each year send two sets per car of the wet weather tyres to each race weekend, totalling 4224 individual tyres which are shipped at great expense around the world. Yet despite a set of these tyres shifting 340 litres (90 gallons) a second they are rarely used other than occasionally to clear standing water with the field behind the safety car before the start of a race.
The last time we saw the full wet tyre used was during the Brazilian Grand Prix of 2024. There Max Verstappen started from P17 and for only the third time in F1 history from this grid position, went on to win the race. At Interlagos the weather deteriorated during the race which saw drivers switching from the intermediate tyres to the full wets.
The paradox is that as safety has infinitely improved in F1 over the decades, fans are deprived more and more from seeing the true skill of the drivers in wet weather conditions.
Historic Wet Weather Masterclasses
Back in 2011 we saw the longest race in F1 history at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. Jenson Button proved himself one of the great F1 drivers in the wet, when after the first lap he was in last position yet drove a brilliant race, which saw him pit no less than six times before on the penultimate lap he claimed the lead passing Sebastian Vettel who made a mistake on a damp patch of asphalt.
The longest race in F1 history due to a lengthy red-flag suspension for heavy rain. Jenson Button drove a chaotic, brilliant race, pitting six times, serving a drive-through penalty, dropping to last place, and ultimately passing Sebastian Vettel on the very final lap when Vettel made a mistake on a damp patch.
Prior to this in 2008 at the British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton gave a masterclass in driving in wet conditions. Amidst heavy rain and blinding spray, Hamilton won by a staggering margin of over 68 seconds ahead of second place, demonstrating total car control whilst many of the other drivers spun out of the race unable too control their cars.
Back in 1996 at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, Michael Schumacher earned his first-ever win for Ferrari during a torrential downpour. While others struggled to keep their cars on the track, Schumacher became known as the rainmeister after lapping several seconds a lap quicker than anyone else, lapping almost the entire field.
Ayrton Senna emerged as one of the best drivers of all time at the 1993 European Grand Prix held at Donington Park. In what is known as a legendary opening lap in an inferior McLaren-Ford the Brazilian ace passed Schumacher and the two dominant Williams drivers even before the cars completed a single lap.
The Impact of Modern Spray and Safety Caution
For the modern fans there is little hope of ever seeing such epic drives from drivers who have the mastery and skill to handle an F1 car in soaking wet conditions. Despite the tyre technology having improved enormously, the FIA race director refuses to start any race whilst there is reduced visibility due to the spray.
In the recently ended ground effect era, the cars using low pressure underneath the floor to create downforce created huge rooster tails in the wet and so understandably even in similar wet conditions to previous eras the visibility was worse for the drivers.
Yet with ground effect era gone, the new generation of 2026 cars produce far less spray, although F1 race control appears to treat similar conditions with equal caution. True wet weather racing is almost gone from F1 and so the question must be asked as to whether Pirelli should continue to spend tens of millions creating the wet weather tyre and shipping it to the four corners of the world?
Since the inception of the hybrid era, genuine extreme rainy conditions has increasingly seen delayed starts or racing suspended until sufficient water has cleared from the circuit to the point where the intermediate tyre is capable of managing the conditions.
And this is no reflection on F1’s tyre supplier Pirelli, who have designed and created a tyre which can cope with the largest quantities of water. Yet if race control rule its too dangerous to race, using them is now a rare event.
Missed Opportunities for Entertainment
In Sepang the extreme caution shown by race control meant by the time the Grand Prix began, the track had dried to such an extent that seven drivers decided to start on the dry weather tyres. In the Singapore Sprint, Jenson Button commented the race could have started some fifteen minutes before the lights went out.
Then we have the extra laps behind the safety car at the start of a race, so drivers can acclimatise themselves to the conditions. These are supposed to be the best 22 drivers in the world, surely some jeopardy for them to understand the conditions during racing should be allowed.
The Sprint race in Singapore was largely a dull affair, with the exception of the McLaren drivers colliding with a couple of laps remaining. Had the race started earlier, we may have seen the drivers start on the full wet tyre, then pit half way through for the intermediate – thus adding an increased amount of entertainment.
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The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
