Max Verstappen jokingly questioned Charles Leclerc about his dramatic contact with Oscar Piastri after the Ferrari driver secured an unexpected second place in the Belgian Grand Prix. The two drivers, both born in 1997, produced one of the race’s most spectacular battles before sharing an amusing exchange in the cooldown room ahead of the podium ceremony.
Charles Leclerc emerged as one of the main protagonists at Spa-Francorchamps, taking Ferrari to a valuable runner-up finish behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The result exceeded expectations on a circuit where the characteristics of the power unit and energy deployment had been expected to expose some of Ferrari’s weaknesses. The complete classification can be found in the full 2026 Belgian Grand Prix results.
Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri make contact at Spa
Alongside the final result, Charles Leclerc also delivered several moments of genuine on-track excitement. The most dramatic came during his defence against Oscar Piastri on the Kemmel Straight, as the McLaren driver attempted to challenge the Ferrari for second position.
The two cars ran extremely close as they approached the braking zone, with Charles Leclerc firmly defending the place. The Ferrari and McLaren eventually made contact, but Charles Leclerc kept control of his car, held the steering wheel steady and maintained the position at a crucial stage of the race.
The incident was investigated by the stewards, who ultimately decided that no further action was necessary. They concluded that Charles Leclerc had left Oscar Piastri sufficient space, clearing the Ferrari driver of wrongdoing after the Belgian Grand Prix investigation.
Oscar Piastri was therefore unable to complete the move and came away empty-handed from the battle, while Charles Leclerc continued on his way to an impressive second-place finish. Ferrari’s performance was particularly notable given the MGU-K management and energy deployment challenge at Spa.
Max Verstappen jokes about the Charles Leclerc-Oscar Piastri clash
The incident became the subject of an entertaining exchange in the cooldown room, where the podium finishers were shown highlights from the race before attending the ceremony.
Max Verstappen, who finished third behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, appeared impressed by the Ferrari driver’s determination when footage of the battle with Oscar Piastri was shown on the screen.
The Red Bull driver turned towards Charles Leclerc several times with an exaggerated, almost shocked expression, clearly joking about what he had just watched. He then asked: “It was all calculated, right?”
“Yes, yes,” Charles Leclerc replied, playing along with Max Verstappen’s joke.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the Belgian Grand Prix winner, also laughed during the exchange. The Mercedes driver appeared equally impressed by the commitment and control Charles Leclerc had displayed while resisting Oscar Piastri’s attack and protecting second place for Ferrari.
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