SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (BELGIUM) – Charles Leclerc secured an excellent podium finish at the 2025 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, finishing third behind the two dominant McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. However, the race also featured a moment of visible tension between the Monegasque driver and his Ferrari race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, during the final stages of the Grand Prix at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
Charles Leclerc’s Angry Radio Message to Ferrari During the Belgian Grand Prix
The incident occurred in the closing laps of the race, as Max Verstappen—driving the Red Bull Racing RB21—was rapidly closing in from behind. Ferrari engineer Bryan Bozzi informed Charles Leclerc that the gap to Verstappen had decreased to just 1.2 seconds. The message triggered an emotional response from Leclerc, who shouted over the radio: “Leave me alone, please. I can’t deal with getting no information when he’s far and then being flooded with updates when he’s close. Keep calm and don’t worry.”
After the race, Charles Leclerc explained the outburst during the post-race media interviews. He clarified that the pressure was intense in those moments, and the smallest mistake—just a few centimetres off the ideal racing line—could have had serious consequences. According to the Ferrari driver, his message was meant to request space to concentrate, stating: “I told Bryan to leave me alone at that point. He always tries to help by giving information, but sometimes I need it, and other times I don’t—so I made that clear to him.”
Tensions Already Present During the Sprint Race at Spa
This was not the first moment of friction between Charles Leclerc and his race engineer during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. The day before, in the Sprint Race, Leclerc had already expressed a degree of frustration over the radio, during a race where he finished in fourth position. At one point, he requested: “Just tell me when it’s the last lap,” aiming to minimise communication and focus purely on his driving.
After the Sprint, the Monegasque elaborated further on his feelings. He acknowledged the team’s ongoing challenges and their current development phase, saying: “There’s still a lot of work to do. I pushed hard in the Sprint, but we’re struggling. It’s good that we’re learning, but at this point, I want to move beyond learning—I want to win.”
Despite the visible stress and occasional tension over the radio, Charles Leclerc’s overall performance across the Belgian Grand Prix weekend confirmed Ferrari’s recent improvements. The SF-25 single-seater appears to be progressing steadily thanks to its technical updates, especially the newly introduced rear suspension. Yet, the high-pressure moments also revealed the mental intensity drivers must endure while competing at the highest level of motorsport—especially when defending against former world champions like Max Verstappen on one of the fastest and most unforgiving circuits on the calendar.
Here is the team radio message of Charles Leclerc:
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