The tricky conditions at Spa-Francorchamps were bread and butter for Belgian Grand Prix winner Emma Kimiläinen.

After starting in P4, the Finnish driver ran a patient race to snub championship leader Jamie Chadwick of the top spot in the fifth round.

Following her first win of the 2021 season, Kimiläinen spoke about how the wet weather played to her advantage in Stavelot.

Spa is not a track for the faint-hearted and on a day of poor weather conditions, accident can so easily strike. 

During the qualifying round, six drivers were involved in a nasty collision after spinning out on the wet surface. Ayla Agren and Beitske Visser were admitted to hospital following the crash but the duo, along with the rest of the drivers, has since been medically cleared.

The main event on Saturday was a real test for the 16 on the grid. Reigning champion and season leader Chadwick started on pole ahead of Powell, Caitlin Wood, and Kimiläinen.

Chadwick kept her lead for the majority of the race but a looming Kimiläinen had too much pace to burn to stay sat in P2. 

Just minutes away from the 30, the Ecurie W star slipped into the top spot with a delightful manoeuvre on the outside to demote Chadwick to second. From there, it was plain sailing for the Finland native, who finished first on the podium and recorded the fastest lap of the round.

It seemed all drivers struggled with the wet track and the limited visibility at Spa, but for Kimiläinen, it's something she's become accustomed to.

"I've loved them [the wet conditions] since I was a kid," the Belgian GP winner said after the race. "In Finland, we have various conditions – we have a hot summer but we also have a cold winter with lots of rain as well.

"When I was little my dad always wanted to go driving when it started raining, so then he put me and my brother on slicks on the track and just said, 'take care, have fun!' So that's probably why I like it so much. It's also about the car handling, limits, risks and all those kind of things that I enjoy, so it works for me."

Kimiläinen moves up to third in the drivers' standings with 60 points thanks to her inspired performance at Spa. She has leapfrogged Nerea Martí and sits behind British racers Jamie Chadwick (91 pts) and Alice Powell (84 pts).

The sixth round of the W Series will see the drivers travel to the Zandvoort circuit for the Netherlands Grand Prix next weekend. The race will get underway on Sunday, September 4th at 15.30 BST. You can keep up to date with all the W Series news and results here on GiveMeSport Women.