Scuderia Ferrari arrived at Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix looking to build on Charles Leclerc’s win at Silverstone in the first race of a doubleheader before the summer break.
Unfortunately, Ferrari experienced a weekend of mixed results: Leclerc finished second on the podium, whilst Lewis Hamilton faced difficulties after a first-lap collision and penalties, which affected his final position and saw him miss out on a podium finish
Here, Sports News Blitz writer and Ferrari fan Luca Salmasi takes a look at five key takeaways from the Scuderia’s weekend.
Ferrari deliver more than expected
Ferrari expected to struggle at Spa due to the circuit’s long straights, which would expose the car’s lack of outright top speed compared with its competitors.
However, an impressive drive by Leclerc, which included a battle with Kimi Antonelli, saw him finish third ahead of Max Verstappen.
And while Hamilton had a slightly more difficult race, he managed to take the other Ferrari to a fourth-place finish, making it another strong points haul for the Scuderia.
Leclerc starts leading by example
Leclerc seemed to extract everything he could from the Ferrari as a well-timed virtual safety car put him into the race lead and kept him at the front.
Despite finishing second overall, he was able to provide a great battle with Antonelli.
The Monégasque driver’s consistency and ability to maximise his output from the car on a circuit that wasn’t supposed to suit Ferrari underline why he is still a key part of the project alongside team-mate Hamilton.
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