A mixed Sprint Qualifying session for Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at the F1 Belgian GP, with Leclerc finishing in P4 while Hamilton, after a rare spin, was out in SQ1.
Ferrari introduced an upgrade package for the Belgian GP, which included changes to the rear suspension geometry.
Due to the sprint format, the Ferrari drivers had only one practice session to test the new package ahead of Sprint Qualifying.
Charles Leclerc, who had looked solid throughout FP1, also had a smooth run in Sprint Qualifying, advancing without any issues.
The Monegasque extracted the most out of his package to finish the session in a solid fourth place.
Upgrades work, but the gap is huge
Despite having maximized his result and attesting to the upgrades being a step forward, Leclerc was wary of the gap to McLaren when speaking in the TV pen following Sprint Qualifying for the F1 Belgian GP.
“I felt the changes, but the thing is that today the gap is huge.
“I’m sure we did a step forward, but for some reason, the McLaren seems to be even faster than usual around this track.
“It’s a bit disappointing on that side of things, but I think what we were searching for with those upgrades, we had it.
“It’s just a shame to have such a difficult qualifying session, especially in terms of gaps.”
Ferrari still has work to do
Before introducing the latest upgrade package, both Ferrari drivers had lamented the drivability of the SF-25 throughout the F1 2025 season.
When asked whether the upgraded package had improved its drivability, Leclerc confirmed that it had, while still bemoaning the sizable gap to the front.
Leclerc noted that Ferrari still had work to do, identifying a lack of grip as one of the main issues.
“Yes. Again, the feeling was pretty good. It’s a mixed feeling.
“On one side, I’m happy that the car feels better; on the other, even if the car feels actually pretty good, we are still seven tenths off, which is a huge amount of time.
“Yes, it’s a long track, but still it’s a big amount of time.
“There’s a lot of work to be done, for sure.
“We just need to add grip to this car at the end of the day.
“I don’t think we do anything particularly wrong, but we just need more grip that we don’t seem to have for now.”
A frustrating Sprint Qualifying session for Hamilton
Whereas Leclerc maximized results in Sprint Qualifying for the Belgian GP, teammate Lewis Hamilton experienced a session to forget.
After his early banker wasn’t enough to make it through SQ2, Hamilton looked to improve on his second run, but it all fell apart in the final corner.
The 7-time Champion spun and couldn’t improve on his previous time, which resulted in him being knocked out in SQ1.
Hamilton will head into the Sprint from 18th on the grid.
Speaking to TV broadcasters following Sprint Qualifying, Hamilton summarized his Sprint Qualifying as ‘not great’.
“Not great, not great, there’s not really a lot to say.”
The Briton was not too pleased with the result and is looking to tomorrow’s sprint race and Qualifying for the main race to improve.
” Tomorrow is a new day, so we’ll try.
“I’m massively frustrated.
“A lot of work’s gone in, and to be there is not really great, so yeah, hopefully tomorrow will be better.”
