Charles Leclerc’s victory at Silverstone has restored the Ferrari driver’s confidence after a difficult period, allowing the Monegasque to approach another emotionally significant race weekend with greater optimism. Spa-Francorchamps, home of the Belgian Grand Prix, holds special meaning for the Ferrari driver, and beyond the emotional aspect, the challenge will also be to replicate the performance that allowed Ferrari to triumph at a circuit which, like Spa, appeared on paper to suit Mercedes better. Speaking during Thursday’s FIA press conference ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc also reflected on Ferrari’s recent filming day at Madrid’s new Formula 1 circuit.
The Silverstone breakthrough and the simulator’s answers
The Belgian Grand Prix weekend begins on the back of Ferrari’s excellent result at Silverstone two weeks ago. Leclerc reflected on the progress that enabled him to rediscover the right feeling with the SF-26, stressing how important it is to repeat that level of performance at different circuits throughout the remainder of the season.
“It was great to see that the work pays off, especially after the previous races when I struggled a lot to find the right feeling with the car. It only happened at one circuit, and now I want to reproduce it on different tracks. In terms of confidence, I’m always confident that if I do a good job inside the car, then the results will come. But to achieve that, I need to keep working. That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do over the last few days: first of all, to understand why we were so much stronger than we expected at Silverstone, so that we can reproduce it more often in the future,” the Ferrari driver explained, emphasizing that confidence is a direct consequence of the work carried out both on and off the track.
Throughout the season, Ferrari has often spoken about the value of simulator work, particularly after Lewis Hamilton explained why he preferred not to rely on it when preparing for race weekends. Leclerc, however, revealed that the simulator proved extremely useful in confirming the progress Ferrari made between the Sprint and qualifying at Silverstone.
Even so, the Monegasque urged caution, pointing out that there is still more to learn about the car before drawing definitive conclusions. “The work we did in the simulator helped me understand why I felt more comfortable at Silverstone. I already knew what we had changed, but regarding the overall performance there are still aspects we need to investigate further. We need to complete more laps on track to test some solutions,” Leclerc explained, revealing that even Ferrari itself had been surprised by the level of performance shown at Silverstone.
An emotional return to Spa and the weekend’s competitive picture
The Belgian Grand Prix has always held a unique place in Leclerc’s career. Spa-Francorchamps is where he claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory, but it is also forever linked to one of the most painful moments of his life.
“This is a special circuit for two reasons: I took my first Formula 1 victory here, which was an unforgettable moment, but I also lost my friend Anthoine,” Leclerc said emotionally, referring to Anthoine Hubert, who tragically lost his life during the Formula 2 feature race at Spa-Francorchamps on August 31, 2019. Leclerc admitted that thoughts of his close friend accompany him every time he returns to Belgium.
Turning to the competitive outlook for the weekend, the Ferrari driver believes Mercedes remain the benchmark at circuits of this type. Despite Ferrari’s victory at Silverstone, Leclerc still considers the German team to be the favourite at Spa.
“My opinion hasn’t changed compared to before the British Grand Prix weekend. Silverstone and Spa are two circuits that should suit Mercedes much better. We were strong in the last race, but we were also fortunate on Sunday because Kimi Antonelli didn’t achieve the result everyone expected,” Leclerc pointed out.
The budget cap challenge and confidence in Fred Vasseur
The intense development race that has defined the 2026 Formula 1 season continues to raise questions about how teams manage their financial resources while balancing the production of new aerodynamic upgrades with the restrictions imposed by the budget cap.
Asked whether Ferrari’s aggressive development programme could create concerns regarding the cost cap, Leclerc made it clear that he has complete faith in team principal Fred Vasseur and Ferrari’s leadership.
“On this matter, I trust Fred more than anyone else,” Leclerc said, highlighting his confidence in Vasseur’s management of the Scuderia.
Ferrari’s production departments continue to operate under significant pressure to manufacture new upgrades as quickly as possible, while ensuring the highest standards of quality and efficiency. “The team is doing an enormous amount of work to push production and encourage the creative minds at Maranello, with the goal of bringing updates as quickly and efficiently as possible. I’m not worried because I know he knows exactly what to do,” the Monegasque concluded.
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