Verstappen couldn't get past Leclerc in Belgium: 'That's great!'

Despite a troubled season so far for Ferrari and one that’s fallen short of expectations, Charles Leclerc continues to carry the team on his shoulders — and Belgium was no exception.

In the Ardennes, the Monegasque secured his fifth podium of the season, managing to keep Max Verstappen behind for the entire race.

''I'm pleased with the steps forward we are doing, and I think we should all be proud about that because I know that behind that, there's a lot of work behind the scenes from the people back at home for us to have this upgrade here,'' said the Monegasque during the press conference in Spa after the race.

Charles Leclerc’s third-place finish at the Belgian Grand Prix helped him claw back a solid chunk of points in the fight for the World Championship.

While Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris still seem out of reach, Leclerc may yet have a shot at putting pressure on Max Verstappen.

The Monegasque sits 36 points behind the current third-place driver. George Russell also stands between Leclerc and Verstappen, trailing the Dutchman by nine points.

At the press conference following the Belgian Grand Prix, Leclerc also addressed his battles with Verstappen on the track: ''He (Verstappen) was very, very close to me, but he never actually made it, which is great.''

Finally, he added: ''The gap was always exactly the same. Sometimes I was doing a really good lap, and then I would look at the gap and he would do exactly the same lap. I was like, fuck, okay, so I just need to keep that pace now.''