Charles Leclerc heads into the Belgian Grand Prix after a tough outing at Silverstone, where he finished 14th – his lowest result of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
It was just the second time this year that the Ferrari driver failed to score points, and the first time it happened while being classified in the final standings. The other occasion came in China, where he was disqualified from a fifth-place finish for being underweight by just 1kg.
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Outside of those two races, Leclerc has consistently finished in the top ten, even picking up three podiums in four rounds before Silverstone. That run included a second-place finish at Monaco and back-to-back third places in Spain and Austria.
But his strategy calls at Silverstone didn’t pay off. He started on medium tyres before switching back to intermediates on lap 10, then later moved to softs with 10 laps remaining. The timing of those changes left him unable to recover ground as others around him found better grip late on.
Leclerc not convinced Ferrari’s rear suspension update will solve his set-up issues
Now, Leclerc will hope to bounce back with Ferrari introducing a rear suspension upgrade at the Belgian GP. The Scuderia have moved the mounting point for the front wishbone to the gearbox in a bid to lower the ride height of the SF-25 and improve the car’s predictability.
This change is intended to help drivers run less aggressive set-ups by creating more downforce through mechanical grip. But while it might benefit Carlos Sainz, who has struggled with pace this season, Leclerc isn’t sure it will make a significant difference for him.
Speaking ahead of practice at Spa, Leclerc said: “It goes in that direction but I don’t think it’s going to be a huge step forward from what I felt so far on the simulator.”
He added: “I was obviously hoping for more because it would have made our life much easier. However, I think every little step counts and if this is one of those steps then we’ll take it.”
Sainz already received part of Ferrari’s new suspension before British GP
Carlos Sainz had already received part of Ferrari’s new rear suspension design before Silverstone. The team had fitted his SF-25 with some changes, though they weren’t fully completed until just after the race.
The full version made its debut at Spa-Francorchamps as part of a wider effort by Ferrari to close gaps in both qualifying and race performance.
Ferrari’s new rear suspension upgrade might not be enough to change Charles Leclerc’s approach
Ferrari have likely updated the dampers on their rear suspension at the Belgian Grand Prix to get the most out of their new setup. However, Leclerc doesn’t believe this will mean he can move away from the ‘extreme’ setups he’s been using to chase performance.
Leclerc told RacingNews365: “I can find the confidence if I set up the car in a different way. So, if I need confidence, I’ll go for that. But I prefer to go for performance, rather than confidence.”
“It doesn’t always pay off, and I think we’ve seen it at [the] last race weekend in Silverstone where, obviously, I had my struggles, which were pretty big in the wet. I know this is the risk of running such an extreme set-up.
“I don’t think this will improve with that [rear suspension upgrade] because we still need to set up the car in a relatively similar position in order to extract the maximum out of it. But I’m happy to follow that path.”
Ferrari’s efforts to fine-tune Charles Leclerc’s Spa set-up hampered by F1 Sprint format
Ferrari used a filming day at Mugello during the break between Silverstone and Spa to gather data on their new rear suspension, with both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton completing 100km each. This weekend also features the third F1 Sprint of the season, adding another layer of complexity.
Leclerc didn’t notice any significant changes during the Mugello test, which has left him unsure whether the upgrade will reduce his reliance on ‘extreme’ set-ups. He’s also wary of potential rain at Spa, given how limited practice time is during Sprint weekends.
Sprint weekends only allow for one practice session before qualifying, which restricts how much Ferrari can experiment with Leclerc’s set-up. While Hamilton seems pleased with the upgrade so far, it may take longer for its full benefits to become clear.
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