Charles Leclerc missed out on a second consecutive Formula 1 victory, but the Ferrari driver left the Belgian Grand Prix convinced that a win was within reach right until the final laps of the race.
The Monegasque transformed a difficult qualifying setback into a spirited podium challenge at Spa-Francorchamps, eventually finishing hot on the heels of Mercedes charger Kimi Antonelli after losing the lead with ten laps remaining.
Leclerc had entered the weekend encouraged by Ferrari’s breakthrough victory at Silverstone and was confident the team could continue its momentum. His hopes took an early hit in qualifying when what he perceived as a yellow flag forced him to ease off on his final lap, leaving him starting only fourth.
But Sunday was a different story.
Leclerc immediately attacked, seizing second please on the run up to Les Combes before hunting down Max Verstappen for the lead. Although the Dutchman fought back later, Ferrari’s race pace kept Leclerc firmly in contention.
A tense battle with Oscar Piastri briefly threatened to derail his afternoon, with the McLaren suffering minor damage after their clash. However, Leclerc avoided punishment and Ferrari capitalised on a well-timed virtual safety car to bring him into the pits.
The strategy call worked perfectly. Leclerc emerged ahead of Antonelli and found himself leading the race – with a genuine chance of repeating his Silverstone triumph.
Ferrari’s challenger spirit shines through
Despite eventually being caught and passed by Antonelli with ten laps to go, Leclerc refused to view the result as a missed opportunity. Instead, he highlighted Ferrari’s improved competitiveness and revealed he remained convinced victory was possible until the chequered flag.
“I believed in the win until the end,” he admitted after the race. “We had a little bit of luck obviously with the VSC at the right time for us but the pace was relatively strong.”
Antonelli’s decisive move ended Ferrari’s hopes of back-to-back wins, but Leclerc’s second-place finish strengthened his championship position. With Russell retiring after first-lap contact with Lewis Hamilton, the gap between the leading contenders tightened further.
The result leaves Leclerc just 28 points behind Russell and 33 points away from his Ferrari team-mate, keeping the title battle wide open.
Ferrari still searching for the final step
While encouraged by Ferrari’s progress, Leclerc knows the team still has work to do before it can consistently challenge Mercedes over a full season.
Ferrari opted not to bring upgrades to Spa, making the podium finish an important confidence boost, but Leclerc pointed to areas where the car still needs refinement – particularly with tyre performance.
2026 Belgian Grand Prix - Race results“There's been some five, six laps on the hard where I've been struggling with the front axle and then it came back a little bit,” Leclerc explained.
“I felt better with the car, there's still some work to do but surely it's a step forward.”
For Ferrari, Spa represented another sign that the team is moving in the right direction. For Leclerc, it was proof that even when victory slips away, the fight is far from over.
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