Ferrari’s back? Leclerc pulls off an "unexpected" quali magic at Spa!

17:38, 26 Jul

Updated: 17:47, 26 Jul

byPietro Vurro

Charles Leclerc put in a standout performance in qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps, securing P3 on the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix — and even he seemed a little surprised by it.

“I'm very happy today. It's strange to say that because it's still 0.3s and it's only a third place, but I did not expect it,” Leclerc said after the session. “We thought we were quite a lot more back.”

Leclerc: "I knew that the car was better than it"

Ferrari brought an upgrade package to Spa this weekend, but early signs were mixed. Leclerc admitted Friday was a struggle, and even going into Saturday, expectations weren’t sky-high. But a “really, really good lap” in Q3 changed everything.

“We knew that we had something more in the car with the upgrade this weekend but we still struggled yesterday. That was a really, really good lap. I'm very happy with the lap, how the car felt, so it's good that we put everything together for qualy.”

Charles Leclerc in Spa during Q3

The real test, however, comes on Sunday — and Leclerc is realistic about Ferrari’s chances against the likes of McLaren and Red Bull. Speaking after the Sprint race earlier in the day, where he finished P4 behind Norris (P3), Piastri (P2) and Verstappen (P1), Leclerc admitted the race pace wasn’t quite there.

“I don't know if we can fight them, but for sure the race pace looked very strong this morning — I couldn't keep up with them,” he said. “But again, with the small changes we have done I hope this gives the upper hand to us in the main race.”

McLaren look particularly strong at Spa, and Verstappen remains the clear benchmark. But Leclerc’s Saturday form, paired with Ferrari’s improved one-lap pace, gives the Scuderia a glimmer of hope heading into the race.

If Leclerc can hold off Verstappen in the opening stages and stay in touch with the McLarens, Spa might just serve up another podium for the Monegasque. But as always at Spa, the weather and strategy could be just as decisive as raw pace.