Charles Leclerc explains team radio message to Bryan Bozzi after intense finish at Spa
Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc secured a valuable podium finish at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, delivering a performance that significantly improved morale within the Maranello-based Formula 1 team. The result was especially important following a difficult Sprint Race on Saturday, in which Ferrari had finished far behind Max Verstappen and the McLaren duo, leaving the team visibly deflated.
Strong qualifying and race execution despite pressure
On Saturday, during qualifying at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, Charles Leclerc capitalized on an error by Max Verstappen, managing to outqualify the Dutch driver by just three thousandths of a second. During the opening laps of Sunday’s race, held in damp conditions, Charles Leclerc struggled slightly due to a low-downforce setup on his Ferrari SF-25, which made the car more challenging to handle on the slippery surface.
However, once the track dried and the race progressed beyond the pit stops, Charles Leclerc maintained a consistent advantage over Max Verstappen. For most of the final stint, the Monegasque driver held a gap of at least two seconds over the Red Bull Racing driver. That gap was eventually reduced due to a late mistake from Leclerc at the Bus Stop chicane, which nearly halved the margin between him and his long-time rival.
The “Leave me alone” team radio moment
As the tension increased in the closing laps, Charles Leclerc’s race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, informed him via team radio: “The gap to Verstappen is 1.2 seconds.” The Ferrari driver replied sharply with a firm “Leave me alone,” requesting complete silence from the pit wall.
After the race, Charles Leclerc clarified his reaction and explained the reason behind the heated radio exchange. The Ferrari driver, under heavy pressure in the final corners, chose to focus entirely on his driving and requested silence to avoid any potential distractions.
“In those moments, the pressure is extremely high,” Charles Leclerc explained. “If you miss your braking point or your line by even just 10 or 15 centimeters, you find yourself on a slippery patch of the track, and the risk of making a serious mistake is very high.”
Charles Leclerc continued by acknowledging the intent behind his engineer’s messages: “At a certain point, I simply told Bryan to leave me alone. I know he was just trying to give me all the support and information he could, and sometimes I need that. But today wasn’t one of those times, and I made that clear to him.”
The Monegasque driver’s raw and emotional response on the radio was a reflection of the immense concentration required to fend off a charging Max Verstappen at one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar. In the end, Charles Leclerc managed to hold on and secure third place, bringing home crucial points for Scuderia Ferrari and strengthening their second place in the Constructors’ Championship standings.
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