Charles Leclerc admitted he was caught off guard by his third-place qualifying result at the Belgian Grand Prix, calling it a welcome boost for Ferrari amid a tricky weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.
The Monegasque driver edged out Red Bull’s Sergio Perez by a slim margin in a rain-hit session, securing a spot on the second row behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris. With Verstappen facing a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding engine allocations, Leclerc is set to start from the front row on Sunday.
“I honestly didn’t see this coming,” Leclerc told reporters after the session. “The car felt off in practice, and with the weather playing tricks, I thought we’d be further back. But the team nailed the setup changes, and it paid off. Starting up front here changes everything – it’s a track where position is key.”
Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton, in his first season with the Scuderia, qualified sixth, highlighting the SF-25’s pace inconsistencies on the demanding Ardennes circuit. Leclerc praised the squad’s resilience, noting recent upgrades have helped close the gap to frontrunners Red Bull and McLaren.
As the 2025 season hits its midpoint, Leclerc sits third in the standings, trailing championship leader Verstappen by 45 points. A strong result at Spa could reignite his title push before the summer break.
