After securing third place in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc spoke about the improvements brought by the latest technical updates to the SF-25, while also acknowledging the gap that still remains between Ferrari and the ever-competitive McLaren team.
The third-place result achieved by Charles Leclerc in qualifying serves as clear evidence of the positive direction Ferrari has taken with its development programme. This progress comes despite continued difficulties for his teammate, seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, and the significant performance gap that still separates the Maranello-based team from McLaren. In fact, Charles Leclerc ended the qualifying session almost four-tenths of a second behind British driver Lando Norris and just over two-tenths behind Australian driver Oscar Piastri, who both drive for the Woking-based McLaren team.
One of the most important changes introduced by Ferrari during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend is the updated rear suspension system. This upgrade has allowed the SF-25 to get slightly closer to the performance level of McLaren, a team currently managed by Andrea Stella. However, despite this progress, Charles Leclerc admitted that a lot of work remains to be done, and time is running out as all teams will soon begin shifting their focus and resources to the development of their cars for the 2026 Formula 1 season, which will mark the beginning of a new regulatory era.
Leclerc evaluates Ferrari’s new rear suspension but highlights gap to McLaren
During the post-qualifying press conference reserved for the top three drivers, Charles Leclerc offered his thoughts on the impact of the new rear suspension system introduced by Scuderia Ferrari. While acknowledging the step forward, the Monegasque driver made it clear that McLaren still holds a significant performance advantage.
He explained that the updates are certainly moving in the right direction, but stressed that Ferrari remains behind McLaren by at least three to four tenths of a second in qualifying trim. According to Leclerc, the upgrade package does help, and the team will gradually learn how to extract its full potential over the next few races. However, he was realistic in admitting that it would be difficult to completely close the gap to McLaren or to fight them consistently at the front of the grid.
“These updates are definitely a step forward in the right direction,” said Charles Leclerc, “but compared to McLaren, we’re still behind—at least three or four tenths in qualifying. So yes, it’s progress, but realistically, it’s unlikely we’ll completely close the gap with them. The new package will help, and with time we’ll better understand how to get the most out of it, but it will be difficult to reach the two McLarens and battle with them on a regular basis.”
Charles Leclerc addresses media hype surrounding Ferrari’s updates
The Ferrari driver, who races under number 16, also touched on the intense media attention that typically surrounds the Scuderia Ferrari team. He pointed out that whenever the Maranello squad introduces a new upgrade or technical feature, the level of excitement and external expectation tends to be excessive.
He acknowledged that while the recent updates to the SF-25 are certainly important for the team’s development path, they are not enough to make up for the small but crucial lap time differences needed to fight at the very front of the field.
“Every time there’s something new on our car,” Charles Leclerc said, “there’s always too much hype. These updates are important, but they’re not going to give us the thousandths of a second we’re still missing.”
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