Charles Leclerc has explained the exceptional energy deployment that powered Ferrari’s explosive start at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, while admitting that the SF-26 still suffered from the weaknesses the team had expected at Spa-Francorchamps.
The Ferrari driver finished second after briefly emerging as a genuine contender for victory. A well-timed Virtual Safety Car allowed Charles Leclerc to complete his pit stop and return to the track ahead of Kimi Antonelli, although the Mercedes driver eventually reclaimed the lead. The result nevertheless completed an encouraging weekend for Ferrari, as detailed in our complete 2026 Belgian Grand Prix review.
Charles Leclerc explains Ferrari’s explosive Belgian GP start
Speaking to the media after the race, including Sky Sport F1 Italia, Charles Leclerc analysed the main moments that shaped his afternoon. Ferrari is not yet operating at Mercedes’ overall performance level, but its ability to remain close to Kimi Antonelli was an encouraging sign at a circuit that had been expected to expose the SF-26’s limitations.
Charles Leclerc also acknowledged that the Virtual Safety Car had worked in his favour and discussed his minor contact with Oscar Piastri at the end of the Kemmel Straight.
“The first lap was intense. I didn’t understand what happened, but as far as the engine was concerned, it was working well,” Charles Leclerc said. “We had very strong energy deployment coming out of Eau Rouge, and that allowed me to overtake both George Russell and Max Verstappen further along the straight.”
“I was just hoping that Max Verstappen wouldn’t move because, with the straight-line mode, it can become a little complicated. I’m happy with the start.”
Hard tyre difficulties limit Ferrari’s victory challenge
Despite Ferrari’s competitive opening stint, Charles Leclerc encountered difficulties after changing to the hard tyres. The Monegasque reported significant understeer through Turns 5, 6 and 7, although the behaviour of the car gradually improved as the stint progressed.
“We struggled for five or six laps on the hard tyres, and we need to analyse why it was so complicated,” he explained. “There was a lot of understeer through Turns 5, 6 and 7. It then improved a little, but we didn’t have Kimi Antonelli’s performance.”
The hard-tyre phase proved decisive in Ferrari’s pursuit of victory, with the team subsequently examining how the final stint affected its chances of winning at Spa.
Virtual Safety Car gives Charles Leclerc hope of victory
When asked whether he believed victory was possible after the Virtual Safety Car moved him ahead of Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc admitted that he immediately began to consider another fortunate strategic outcome following Ferrari’s recent success at Silverstone.
“Yes, of course. I was concentrating on the job and I told myself: ‘We had quite a lot of luck at Silverstone, so why not a second time?’”
However, Ferrari’s expected limitations remained visible, particularly on Spa’s long straights. Charles Leclerc was initially surprised that he could remain close to Kimi Antonelli after the Mercedes driver passed him, but the Ferrari ultimately lacked the performance required to launch another attack.
“The weaknesses we expected were still there, honestly,” Charles Leclerc admitted. “We were still struggling on the straights today, but the pace wasn’t bad.”
“I was also surprised when Kimi Antonelli passed me. I thought he would pull away easily, but instead he stayed there. I believed until the end because the slipstream allowed me to remain close, but I didn’t have enough. I stayed with him for five or six laps, but he was too fast for us.”
Kimi Antonelli similarly acknowledged that Charles Leclerc’s pace and the strength of the slipstream made it difficult to establish a comfortable advantage after regaining the lead, explaining the challenge behind his Mercedes victory at Spa.
Charles Leclerc addresses close contact with Oscar Piastri
Charles Leclerc also reflected on his lap-eight contact with Oscar Piastri, describing the moment at the end of the Kemmel Straight as uncomfortably close. Neither driver suffered race-ending consequences from the incident.
“Lap eight was definitely far too close,” Charles Leclerc said. “Fortunately, it had no consequences for either my race or his, so it’s fine.”
Although Ferrari left Belgium without victory, Charles Leclerc’s second place provided further evidence that the SF-26 could compete more strongly than expected at Spa. The team must now understand its early hard-tyre difficulties and straight-line deficit before the next round, where Charles Leclerc has already warned that Ferrari cannot simply assume the Hungarian Grand Prix will suit its car.
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