The qualifying for the Belgium Grand Prix of Formula 1 was complicated for Charles Leclerc, driver of Ferrari, who lost a position on the grid due to a misunderstanding with a yellow flag.
In the last seconds of the session, Leclerc set a time that placed him 0.070 seconds ahead of his previous record. However, the situation complicated when a yellow flag was shown in the pit lane while Isack Hadjar of Red Bull stopped just at that moment.
The yellow flag visible in the pit lane triggered confusion, as an official at the entrance of the pit lane also waved the flag. Leclerc, upon entering the last corner, slightly lifted his foot off the accelerator in response to the flag, crossing the finish line with a time 0.030 seconds slower than his best record.
Leclerc’s time left him just 0.024 seconds behind George Russell, who occupied the fourth position, causing frustration for the Ferrari driver due to the loss of a place.
Leclerc commented: ‘I am a bit disappointed with this last lap. The yellow flag was for the pit lane entrance, but it was too visible from the track. It probably cost me a position.’
The team principal, Fred Vasseur, explained that the yellow flag was shown due to Hadjar’s stop, although he acknowledged that it was a difficult situation for Leclerc, who had to slightly abandon his race.
After having problems with energy deployment during the practices, the qualifying was generally more satisfactory for Leclerc and Ferrari. The driver finished 0.532 seconds behind the poleman, Kimi Antonelli, and acknowledged that the team had prepared for the difficulties on a track that favors more powerful power units.
Despite the circumstances, Leclerc pointed out that they are getting closer to the expected performance and highlighted that the competitiveness of his rival Mercedes is remarkable. ‘They are much stronger, especially in areas limited by power, but we are improving,’ Leclerc added.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
