Charles Leclerc takes third in Belgium GP

Charles Leclerc finished an impressive third at the Belgian Grand Prix after an eventful race.

Charles Leclerc couldn’t do better than fourth in both the sprint qualifications and sprint race. However, the 27-year-old Monegasque driver managed to make the podium, ahead of Max Verstappen by just three thousandths of a second, on Sunday 27 July.

“We expected to finish fourth. The gap with the first two is big but smaller than I thought.  I’m very pleased, it’s a real step forward,” he said at the press conference, happy to have fended off Max Verstappen, who missed out on the podium.

Leclerc fast, Hamilton improving

The podium is encouraging for the Italian stable, despite the clear domination of the McLaren team since the start of 2025. Oscar Piastri lifted the trophy at the Belgian Grand Prix ahead of teammate Lando Norris in second.

“I’m not happy with the second place but this is a very positive result for the whole team”: Charles Leclerc, runner-up to Lando Norris on legendary Principality circuit

It was a tougher weekend for Ferrari’s second driver, however. Knocked out in the first qualification round as his time was discounted for going off the track, the British seven-time world champion had to start from the pitlane, because of unauthorised modifications to his car. Lewis Hamilton did however claw his way back from P16 to P7.

New rear suspension

Charles Leclerc’s performance is significant given the technical upgrades Ferrari introduced this weekend. La Scuderia brought in a new rear suspension, which had been tested out at Mugello, with the aim of enabling the SF-25 to drive lower to the track without damaging the floor section.

This technical evolution is one of the most eagerly awaited improvements of the season for the Maranello team, which is still looking for its first win in 2025.