Charles Leclerc can leave the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix weekend with a degree of satisfaction thanks to a well-earned third-place finish, although his ambitions and expectations remain considerably higher. At the conclusion of the race at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the Scuderia Ferrari driver shared his reflections on the challenges he faced, including the sustained pressure applied by Max Verstappen and the lively radio exchanges with his race engineer, Bryan Bozzi. To wrap up his comments, Charles Leclerc also looked ahead to the next round of the Formula 1 World Championship in Hungary, underlining the importance of continuing development on the upgrades introduced at Spa.
The Monegasque driver analysed his performance at Spa-Francorchamps, where he successfully defended the third position that he had secured during Saturday’s qualifying session. Max Verstappen, the reigning World Champion and Red Bull Racing driver, kept up a relentless pursuit of Leclerc throughout the race, posing a serious threat to the podium hopes of the number 16 Ferrari. However, Verstappen ultimately had to settle for fourth place. Speaking about the intense race, Charles Leclerc commented that “Max was behind me for the entire race, within two seconds, and that’s never easy.”
Leclerc went on to explain that the opening phase of the Belgian Grand Prix proved to be the most difficult for the Scuderia Ferrari team. According to the Monegasque driver, the SF-25 lacked the same level of aerodynamic load that the McLaren and Red Bull cars appeared to benefit from in the initial laps. Leclerc noted that McLaren and Red Bull had compromised their performance in qualifying in order to be more competitive in the expected wet conditions on Sunday. Fortunately for Ferrari, the track dried relatively quickly after the start, allowing their race pace to improve significantly. Despite this, Max Verstappen remained closely behind Leclerc for nearly the entire race distance, often within DRS range, but Charles Leclerc expressed satisfaction in being able to maintain his position and secure a place on the podium.
On the Heated Team Radio and the Upgrade Package
Over the course of the weekend, several exchanges between Charles Leclerc and his race engineer Bryan Bozzi drew attention, as the Ferrari driver appeared audibly frustrated during their conversations on team radio. Addressing those moments after the race, Leclerc offered some clarification and reassurance to fans. He explained that “the pressure is extremely high, especially in these kinds of variable weather conditions. As soon as you step just a few centimetres off the ideal line, the surface is either wet or slippery, and that can lead to a serious mistake.”
At one point during the race, Charles Leclerc told Bryan Bozzi to “leave him alone” over the radio. Reflecting on the moment, he said that while Bozzi was trying to provide him with as much information as possible from the pit wall, there were times during the race when he simply did not need additional input. Leclerc added that “sometimes I need a lot of information, but today was not one of those times, and I made that clear to him.”
In conclusion, Charles Leclerc also addressed the technical upgrades that Ferrari brought to Spa-Francorchamps, highlighting their initial effectiveness. The Monegasque driver stated that “we got what we expected from these updates, and that’s very positive.” However, he was also quick to point out that the package is still relatively new, and the team must continue working hard to fully understand and optimise the performance benefits. He expressed his happiness at finishing on the podium, which allowed him to thank the entire Scuderia Ferrari team back at Maranello for their ongoing efforts.
Leclerc closed by encouraging the team to “keep pushing” and shared his hope that Ferrari would soon be in a position to apply more pressure to McLaren in the upcoming races. He praised the team’s work over the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, describing the result as a great performance and an excellent recovery, especially under such demanding conditions.
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