Ferrari: aggressive braking hinders Charles Leclerc’s corner exits at Spa | F1 data analysis. Telemetry from Sprint Qualifying at the Belgian GP reveals that Charles Leclerc’s aggressive braking style is compromising Ferrari’s corner exits.

During Sprint Qualifying for the 2025 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, the Ferrari team essentially competed with only one driver. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton encountered an issue at the final corner, which prevented him from improving on his first timed lap and resulted in his elimination. Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, managed to secure fourth place on the grid. His SF-25 seemed relatively well-balanced, yet still not fast enough to challenge the front-runners. Ferrari’s engineers will need more time to fully understand how to optimise the car’s latest technical upgrades for upcoming races.

Leclerc Matches Verstappen in Top Speed Before Turn 5, but McLaren Leads in Traction

Telemetry data offers valuable insight into how and where the reigning world champion team made the crucial difference. McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri took full advantage of the aerodynamic load generated in the middle sector of the circuit, as well as the superior traction available when exiting the slower corners. In the first third of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit — where top speed plays a decisive role — Max Verstappen remained the strongest performer.

The Dutch driver made the most of the vertical load at his disposal, showing lower drag resistance along the Kemmel Straight. Furthermore, the data reveals a unique approach by the Red Bull Racing driver at La Source: Verstappen braked later than his rivals into Turn 1. However, this strategy resulted in understeer at the apex, compromising his corner exit speed.

Charles Leclerc, at the wheel of his Ferrari SF-25, reached the same top speed as Max Verstappen before entering Turn 5. However, he struggled with traction on the exit of Turn 1. Like Verstappen, the Monegasque driver delayed his braking, but unlike Norris — who demonstrated the best acceleration in that section — Leclerc lost precious time during the exit phase.

Verstappen Quicker Through Pouhon Despite High Rear Downforce Setup

The central sector of the Spa circuit revealed more significant differences between the cars, largely due to the varied aerodynamic and mechanical setups chosen by each team. In Turn 5, as in Turn 1, Leclerc braked later than most and carried more speed through the corner’s midpoint. Yet this approach, combined with the SF-25’s rear-biased balance, induced understeer at the apex, forcing Leclerc to lift and slow down on the run to Turn 8.

In the faster corners of the circuit’s second half, Charles Leclerc attempted to help rotate the car by using a trail throttle technique — keeping the throttle slightly open through the apex. Despite his efforts, in corners like Turn 12, Turn 13, and Turn 14, he continued to lose time due to his overly aggressive braking style, again sacrificing traction on exit.

McLaren emerged as the benchmark in traction, with Piastri and Norris employing different driving styles. The two Woking-based drivers, benefiting from a higher aerodynamic load, selected different braking points and racing lines. Oscar Piastri tended to be more aggressive on corner entry, which cost him acceleration relative to his teammate. Lando Norris, meanwhile, opted for a more conservative entry approach and was rewarded with stronger exits, especially in Turns 6, 8, and 14.

Given the Red Bull RB21’s setup, it is somewhat surprising that Max Verstappen was the fastest in Turn 10, a corner that typically rewards high aerodynamic efficiency. The Dutchman capitalised on the downforce generated by the RB21’s floor and followed a more effective line than his competitors. Nonetheless, the actual level of downforce on the Red Bull chassis became more apparent in other corners, where Verstappen generally carried lower speeds than rivals with more drag-oriented setups.

Leclerc Too Aggressive at the Bus Stop, Losing Out Again in Traction

In the final sector of the Belgian track, the performance rankings largely mirrored what was seen in the opening part of the circuit. Once again, McLaren proved to be the strongest car in terms of traction. This was particularly evident at Turn 14, although the team’s strong rear downforce setup imposed a small top-speed limitation on the straight leading to Turn 18.

Despite this limitation, Oscar Piastri was only 2 km/h slower than Max Verstappen just before entering the Bus Stop chicane. Charles Leclerc, however, continued to be penalised in acceleration. The Ferrari driver delayed his turn-in point at Turn 18 and braked later than ideal, placing his car off the optimal racing line. As a result, he had to delay getting back on the throttle to avoid excessive oversteer, costing him even more time.

At this stage, it is still too early to make a definitive assessment of Ferrari’s updated rear suspension system. The much-anticipated performance gain needed to catch up with McLaren’s papaya-coloured cars appears to be further away than expected. Clearly, this new suspension geometry has not yet been fully optimised, and the Ferrari drivers have yet to adapt their driving style to extract maximum performance from the setup.

Additionally, having only one free practice session during the Sprint weekend limited Ferrari’s ability to fine-tune the setup of the SF-25. This lack of setup refinement likely prevented the team from unlocking the full potential of their revised car.