Charles Leclerc has revealed that excessive understeer through Turns 6 and 7, rather than a lack of straight-line speed, was the principal Ferrari weakness that prevented him from winning the Belgian Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver finished second behind Kimi Antonelli at Spa-Francorchamps after Ferrari performed far better than expected at a circuit initially viewed as one of the SF-26’s most difficult tests.
On paper, the Belgian Grand Prix weekend was supposed to be an exercise in damage limitation for Ferrari. The reality that emerged at Spa was very different, however, as the SF-26 displayed encouraging pace after free practice and allowed the team to adopt a more ambitious approach as the event progressed.
Ferrari transforms Belgian GP expectations with strong SF-26 pace
The extensive work completed by Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s engineers, combined with the effective technical package brought to the circuit, enabled the team to target considerably more than simply limiting its losses.
Ferrari had arrived in the Ardennes with restrained ambitions, and Charles Leclerc had outlined the team’s cautious expectations for Spa before the weekend began. Qualifying then confirmed that the SF-26 was clearly the second-fastest car in Belgium, behind Mercedes but ahead of the remaining leading teams.
The result supported the progress Ferrari had shown across the weekend. Although Spa’s long straights and demanding energy requirements appeared likely to expose the car’s limitations, its overall race pace gave Charles Leclerc a genuine opportunity to challenge for victory.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton maximise Ferrari’s Belgian GP result
Following a chaotic start, both Ferrari drivers made full use of the SF-26’s competitive race pace to secure the best result available to them.
Lewis Hamilton received a five-second penalty following contact with George Russell’s Mercedes. The incident occurred while the British driver’s car was damaged, although the source states that Lewis Hamilton was not at fault. Despite those difficulties, he produced a solid recovery drive and finished fourth.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, gained several positions during the opening phase before delivering an aggressive and committed performance. He ultimately finished second behind Belgian Grand Prix winner Kimi Antonelli, having briefly been given a realistic opportunity to fight for victory by a favourably timed Virtual Safety Car.
The neutralisation arrived around the time of Ferrari’s only scheduled pit stop, allowing Charles Leclerc to switch from the medium compound to the hard tyre and move into the lead. The strategy brought the Ferrari driver into direct contention with Kimi Antonelli before the Mercedes eventually regained first place.
The weekend’s result was particularly encouraging given the technical challenge created by Spa’s demanding MGU-K and energy-management requirements. Ferrari could not defeat Mercedes, but second and fourth represented a much stronger return than the team had anticipated before arriving in Belgium.
Charles Leclerc reveals the Ferrari weakness that cost victory
Despite the positive result, Charles Leclerc was visibly disappointed after missing out on the victory. During the cool-down lap, he used the team radio to begin analysing the real cause of Ferrari’s defeat while the sensations from the race were still fresh.
Rather than blaming a lack of power or straight-line speed, Charles Leclerc identified excessive understeer through Turns 6 and 7 as the SF-26’s decisive weakness. The section forms part of the Les Combes sequence and demands direction changes, front-end precision and confidence from the driver.
The observation suggested that Ferrari’s inability to defeat Mercedes was not simply the result of Kimi Antonelli possessing a higher top speed. Instead, the balance limitation through that part of the lap prevented Charles Leclerc from extracting enough performance to maintain his challenge.
Ferrari race engineer Bryan Bozzi congratulated the driver after the chequered flag.
“P2, Charles. Good race. Well done,” Bryan Bozzi said.
Charles Leclerc immediately replied with his technical assessment.
“Good job. It was a close race, but we were lucky with the VSC. We need to analyse Turns 6 and 7, a lot of understeer.”
Why Ferrari’s understeer mattered more than outright speed
Understeer occurs when the front tyres do not generate enough grip to follow the driver’s intended line, causing the car to run wider than desired. At a high-speed circuit such as Spa-Francorchamps, even a localised balance problem can affect corner-entry speed, rotation and acceleration onto the following section.
Ferrari had introduced and evaluated several circuit-specific solutions during a weekend in which the Belgian Grand Prix pit lane revealed the latest technical upgrades from across the grid. Mercedes likewise refined the W17’s aerodynamic efficiency for Spa’s combination of fast corners and long straights.
Charles Leclerc’s radio message therefore provided an important distinction. Ferrari had enough overall speed to challenge near the front and briefly lead the race, but the SF-26’s balance through a specific section prevented the driver from sustaining his attack on Kimi Antonelli.
That conclusion should give Ferrari a clearer area to investigate before the next race. The team left Spa with more points than expected and confirmation that the SF-26 can compete strongly even at circuits that appear unfavourable on paper, but Charles Leclerc’s frustration showed how close the Scuderia believed it had come to achieving an even greater result.
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