Ferrari displayed encouraging cornering performance in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, but the SF-26’s power unit deficit ultimately limited Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton when it mattered most. Despite a strong balance through the technical sections of the Belgian circuit, the Italian team was unable to hide the substantial time it was losing on the long straights.
The gap was particularly painful in Q3, where every millisecond counted. Ferrari’s drivers extracted a great deal from the chassis, with Charles Leclerc briefly putting himself just 0.092 seconds from the top, but the deficit in acceleration and top speed remained too significant to overcome. The challenge now is to minimise the damage in Sunday’s race, at a circuit where power and energy deployment are crucial.
Q1: Ferrari searches for a better hybrid feeling
Both Ferrari cars left the garage without delay at the start of Q1, each fitted with a fresh set of red-walled soft Pirelli tyres. As expected, tyre warm-up received close attention, with maximising available grip set to be a key theme throughout qualifying. Once the tyres were ready, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton switched to push mode for their opening attempts.
Neither driver was entirely comfortable with the car, particularly the Briton, who reported high temperatures. Their first runs ended quickly as both Ferrari drivers were called back to the pits, sitting five to six tenths away from the leading pace. There were no major radio messages, but it was immediately clear that the familiar engine shortfall was making life difficult around Spa.
After a short break, Ferrari returned to the circuit on used soft tyres. The drivers received guidance on the areas in which they could improve, while both began pushing harder than they had during practice. The steering inputs were less tidy, reflecting how close Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were operating to the limit. The seven-time world champion followed the advice and found a few tenths, with the Monegasque driver doing the same before both returned to the garage.
Q2: Ferrari maximises the SF-26’s handling
Ferrari safely progressed, although Q1 had already shown that the tenth qualifying session of the 2026 season would be more difficult than expected. The priority was to make the most of the SF-26 without creating handling problems. The car remained very driveable, but became more demanding as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton approached its limit.
After another brief pause, the two Ferrari drivers headed out again on fresh soft tyres. The engine could be heard running at higher revs, placing added focus on how the team would use its energy. Charles Leclerc produced an outstanding lap from a handling perspective and was only 0.250 seconds behind Kimi Antonelli. Lewis Hamilton was also reasonably clean, although a few small errors in the first sector cost him time.
Race engineer Carlo Santi congratulated Lewis Hamilton on the lap but pointed out that further time was available through Turns 5, 6 and 7. Those small losses added up to several tenths. Ferrari then made a quick return to the garage before heading out once more, with the SF-26’s stability on new tyres providing a positive sign.
The seven-time world champion stayed in the garage, secure in the time he had already set, while Charles Leclerc remained on track on used soft tyres. The Monegasque driver knew he would not improve his lap time, but used the additional run to build confidence and understand where he could make the difference under those conditions. It was another example of his refusal to settle, as knowing where to take risks can be decisive in qualifying. Ferrari successfully made it through to Q3.
Q3: Ferrari’s power unit deficit proves decisive
The most difficult part of the session was about to begin. Ferrari needed maximum power from the power unit and a near-perfect lap from both drivers to fight at the front, while its rivals were ready to exploit the advantage of their own engines. The task was made even tougher by Spa’s specific energy-management demands, which had already been highlighted by the FIA’s tighter MGU-K energy rules for the Belgian GP.
The Ferrari cars emerged from the pit lane on fresh soft tyres, with meticulous tyre preparation and maximum energy recovery completed before their first Q3 runs. Charles Leclerc was aggressive but highly effective, producing a very solid lap that was good enough for third place, just 0.092 seconds from the lead. Lewis Hamilton, by contrast, was less precise during his first attempt.
The British driver did not hit the apex properly at Turn 1 and was again imperfect through Turns 5 and 6, costing him around one and a half tenths compared with his team-mate. The Monegasque asked for one additional point of front-wing load, while Lewis Hamilton appeared satisfied with the overall balance of his SF-26. However, the seven-time world champion still needed a cleaner lap to remain in contention near the front.
For the final runs, the Maranello team fitted another set of new soft tyres. Lewis Hamilton was again not perfect through Turn 1, where he suffered oversteer, while Charles Leclerc was cleaner. Yet both drivers lost around half a second, exposing the power unit gap on Spa’s full-throttle sections. It was an unavoidable loss: Ferrari’s drivers could do little to counter it.
That is especially frustrating because the SF-26 showed the qualities of a very strong car away from the straights. Ferrari’s performance through the corners and its general handling were encouraging, in line with the wider picture emerging from the latest Belgian GP technical developments in the Spa pit lane. However, the power unit remains a fundamental limitation at a circuit as demanding as Spa-Francorchamps.
Ferrari will therefore likely face a difficult race on Sunday. The team must build on the SF-26’s strong chassis balance while managing its energy as effectively as possible, but overtaking and defending on Spa’s straights may prove a demanding task for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
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